Category: Bakery

Sour Cream Coffee Crumb Cake

Amanda Jane3 Comments

Rich pound cake filled with a sweet and nutty cinnamon swirl topped with soft crumbs.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. It reminds me of the Drake’s coffee cake that my mom used to buy for after school snack but WAY better. I remember thinking the cake was made with coffee and there was no way I would ever like or try it, but my mom assured me there was absolutely no trace of coffee and it was only called coffee cake because some people like to have it with a cup of coffee. Sure enough, the first time (and second and third and fourth…), I ended up eating like three slices, and my parents had to stop me from eating more! You just can’t not eat it!

I’ve added my own twist to my mom’s recipe by adding a buttery crumb topping. The cake is so rich and moist which goes perfectly with the cinnamon sugar pecan filling. Then, it’s topped off with a beautiful crunch from the yummy crumbs. If you’re not much of a coffee drinker like me, this cake is even better with vanilla ice cream.

This coffee cake is so easy to make, and it is even more delicious. The cake itself is like a pound cake with the sour cream making the cake very moist and velvety. Begin by making the filling in a medium bowl, making sure you use a food processor to chop up the nuts, set aside. Make the crumbs next. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt together. Place the room temperature butter in the bowl and combine with a pastry blender until crumbs form, set aside.

To make the cake, first and foremost, be sure to not over mix, otherwise, the cake will be dry. Begin by creaming the butter and sugar until very fluffy, about 3 minutes. Then, add in the rest of the ingredients and mix until just combined. Again, do not over mix.

To assemble the cake for baking. Put half the batter on the bottom of a prepared 9-inch Bundt pan. This will be about 425 grams of batter, but I’d advise you to weigh out your own batter when assembling for the best results. *Note: If you rather eye-ball half the batter, err on the side of putting less batter on the bottom. I always think I divide the batter in half perfectly, but I have way too much at the bottom in the end.

Once you have the batter at the bottom, traditionally, you would put half the cinnamon pecan mixture in the middle of the cake then the other half on top, but I have found that the cinnamon sugar pecan mixture always falls off the top when you cut into the cake. Therefore, I suggest you put most of the cinnamon pecan mixture inside the cake rather than splitting it between the center and top of the cake so the yummy mixture doesn’t go to waste. And with my change to my mom’s recipe, the buttery crumb topping is a perfectly delicious replacement that won’t fall off.

Then, pour the rest of the batter over the filling, and sprinkle the rest of the filling mixture on top. Place the buttery crumb mixture on top. When doing so, first create large crumbs in your fist and push them about 1/8 an inch in the batter to give more texture. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs on top, gently pushing them into the batter.

When baked and cooled, dust the top with powder sugar to create a beautiful presentation. Serve warm or at room temperature for dessert or brunch. It is best with vanilla ice cream and whip cream, in my opinion, but it is also great with coffee (so my family says)!

I hope you try out this recipe. I would love to see your Sour Cream Coffee Crumb Cakes, tag me in your pictures on Instagram @beyondbakingwithamandajane!

Traditional Sour Cream Coffee Cake

  • Servings: 10-12
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients

    For the filling
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • For the crumb topping
  • 1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
    • For the cake
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch Bundt pan.
  2. In a small bowl, make the filling. Combine the coarsely chopped nuts, cinnamon, and sugar. Set aside.
  3. In another bowl, make the crumbs. Stir together the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt.
  4. Cut in the butter to make crumbs, and set aside.
  5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. About 3 minutes.
  6. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until just combined. Do not over mix.
  7. Evenly spread half of the batter in the prepared Bundt pan (about 425 grams of batter) and sprinkle 3/4 of the filling. Then, spread the rest of the batter on top. Sprinkle the remaining mixture on top.
  8. Using your hands, press together 5 large crumbs and gently push them into the batter. Then, sprinkle the rest of the crumbs on top, gently pushing them down.
  9. Bake for 50-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.
  10. To remove the cake from the pan, run a knife between the cake and the pan and remove the cake. Serve with vanilla ice cream or coffee and enjoy!

Taste tested by friends and family with love.

Paul Hollywood’s Chocolate Hazelnut Babka

Amanda Jane3 Comments

Melt-in the mouth and flakey crust with a moist and buttery bread, filled with a rich chocolate hazelnut crunch filling.

Happy New Year’s Eve! To celebrate, I am making a Chocolate Babka! Over the past couple of months on Instagram, I have seen many baking bloggers making babka. The intricate twisting pattern caught my eye, and I wanted to learn how to do it! I did not expect this twist to be so simple! Babkas are an Eastern European Jewish Bread/Cake that is made from a buttery and eggy dough, and is traditionally filled with cinnamon or jam. However, the chocolate lover in me wanted to try the chocolate version.

Little did I know, making babka is a pretty intensive process. I began by making the filling because it is important for the chocolate filling to completely cool before rolling it into the bread dough. If the filling is not completely cooled, the picture perfect babka twist will not turn out and the chocolate will smear all over the bread dough. The filling is made by melting together the butter, sugar, and chocolate in a double boiler. Then, you remove the chocolate from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder. Transfer into a separate bowl to cool. While I was waiting for the chocolate mixture to melt, I toasted hazelnuts in the oven until golden and then I coarsely chopped them. This will add a nice crunch to the final product.

While the chocolate filling is cooling, make the bread dough. This is the typical process for making very buttery, flakey bread, like brioche. Make the sponge with instant yeast, sugar, and milk (at about 110 degrees F) and set aside until frothy. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the flour and salt together. Add the eggs and sponge to the stand mixer and mix on slow speed for 2-3 minutes. The dough will be very firm at this point. Increase the speed to medium and slowly add the softened butter a tablespoon at a time. Between each tablespoon, mix well. It may take some time for the butter to incorporate fully. This long process of incorporating the butter is what creates the flakiness of the bread. Once the butter is all incorporated, continue to knead until the dough is very smooth and can pass the window pane test.

Roll the freshly kneaded dough into a 12 x 16 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface (make sure the long edge is closest to you). Spread the cooled chocolate fudge filling over top, leaving about a 1 cm boarder. Work quickly because the chocolate sauce will be more difficult to spread once poured out. Sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts on the top. As you would with cinnamon rolls, tightly roll the dough starting from the long edge closest to you making sure you are not stretching the dough any bigger than 12 x 16 inches. If stretched, the bread will not fit into the bread tin. Trim about an inch off each end to create clean ends.

To form the twist, rotate the spiral of dough 90 degrees so that the short end is closest to you. Using a large sharp knife, slice lengthways down through the middle of the dough, cutting it into 2 long pieces. Face each half upwards and gently seal the tops of each half. Begin crossing the right half over the left, then the left over the right, repeating until the ends touch to seal. Again, be careful not to pull and stretch the halves while twisting, or the bread will not fit in the bread pan. Carefully lift the twist into a greased and parchment lined bread pan and cover with plastic wrap. Proof until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Once proofed, bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes, then 325 for 25-30 minutes. Be sure to keep a close eye on the bread to make sure it isn’t getting too brown. I had to cover my babka with foil during the baking process to prevent it from getting too dark on top. The bread will be done when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

While the babka is baking, make the syrup. Over low heat in a small sized sauce pan, boil sugar and water for 5 minutes. Let cool and brush over the babka immediately after it comes out of the oven. Serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy!

I’d love to see your beautiful babkas! Take pictures and tag me on Instagram @beyondbakingwithamandajane and use the #beyondbakingwithamandajane!

Paul Hollywood's Chocolate Hazelnut Babka

  • Servings: 1 loaf
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients

    For the filling:
  • 65g blanched hazelnuts
  • 100g unsalted butter
  • 150g granulated sugar
  • 80g 70% dark chocolate, chopped
  • 40g cocoa powder
    • For the dough:
  • 275g all-purpose flour
  • 5g instant yeast
  • 25g granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 50mL whole milk
  • 80g unsalted butter, cubed and softened
    • For the syrup:
  • 100g granulated sugar
  • 100mL water

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and roast hazelnuts for 4-5 minutes on a baking tray until golden and then coarsely chop. Let cool.
  2. In a double boiler, melt the butter, sugar, and chocolate until very smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the cocoa powder. Pour into a bowl and let cool and thicken.
  3. Make the sponge. Mix the instant yeast, sugar, and warm milk (about 110 degrees F) together and let sit until frothy.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the flour and salt together. Add the eggs and sponge to the stand mixer and mix on slow speed for 2-3 minutes. *Note: the dough will be very firm at this point.
  5. Increase the speed to medium and slowly add the softened butter a tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  6. Continue to knead the dough with the dough hook until smooth and the dough passes the window pane test.
  7. Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to a 12 x 16 inch rectangle, with the long edge closest to you.
  8. Spread the cooled chocolate mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 cm border all around. Sprinkle all the toasted hazelnuts over the top.
  9. Starting from the long edge closest to you, roll up the dough into a tight spiral, with the seam underneath. Be sure to not stretch the dough too much.
  10. Trim an inch off each end to neaten, and turn the roll 90 degrees so the short end is closest to you. Using a large knife, slice lengthways down the middle of the dough cutting it into 2 long pieces.
  11. Flip each half upwards and gently seal the tops of each half. Begin crossing the right half over the left, then the left over the right, repeating until the ends touch to seal (be careful not to pull and stretch the halves while twisting, or the bread will not fit in the bread pan)
  12. Carefully lift the twist into a greased and parchment lined bread pan and cover with plastic wrap. Proof until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
  13. Once proofed, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 15 minutes.
  14. Decrease the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cover with foil if the bread gets too brown.
  15. While the bread is baking, make the syrup. In a small sized sauce pan, boil sugar and water for 5 minutes. Let cool.
  16. Brush over the babka immediately after it comes out of the oven.

Tate tested by friends and family with love.

Fabulous Famous Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

Amanda Jane3 Comments

Crunchy on the outside, gooey in the inside, sweet and salty chocolate chip cookies.

Every week until Christmas, I will be posting a new cookie recipe to celebrate! Today, I am sharing Jacques Torres’ famous chocolate chip cookie recipe that my mom found in the New York Times. So far this month, I have shared Greek Sesame Twist Cookies, Perfect Peanut Butter Blossoms, Super Simple Nutella Lover’s Chocolate Cookies, and Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons. Follow my blog and my Instagram so you don’t miss another recipe!

Over the years, I have been trying to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. Although chocolate chip cookies are the most basic cookie, a good recipe is so hard to find. I was so excited to give this New York Times recipe a try! I like my chocolate chip cookies crunchy on the edges and gooey and slightly cakey in the center with a strong chocolatey flavor throughout the whole cookie. These cookies check off all the boxes! The edges have a nice, crunchy caramelized exterior with a sweet, buttery, and chocolatey center that melts in your mouth.

I added my own little spin on this recipe. I have discovered that the key to making the best chocolate chip cookie is to use chopped chocolate (especially Jacques’ good chocolate). It could be a chocolate bar that you chop up into small pieces or chocolate chips that you chop. It is important to cut whatever chocolate you use because it will create small flakes of chocolate that will get distributed throughout the dough. This will give the cookie a chocolatey flavor in every bite!

This cookie also requires cake flour and bread flour as opposed to all-purpose flour. The combination of these flours provides the perfect chewiness and tenderness that makes the cookie so unique and perfect. It is crucial to let the dough rest in the fridge for at least 24 hours to let the gluten rest and the butter to chill. During this time, the flavors will develop and get richer. This dough freezes well too, so if you freeze them, you can always have a fresh baked cookie (or cookies) whenever you are craving it! Before baking, sprinkle some coarse salt on top of the cookie to elevate the flavor and make a sweet and salty treat. I like to use pink salt. Then, bake until slightly golden on the edges.

Although it is some extra work to chop the chocolate and use a mix of flours, it is well worth it in end. These cookies from the famous Chocolatier, Jacques Torres are exceptionally delicious. I would love to see your chocolate chip cookies! Tag me in your creations @beyondbakingwithamandajane on Instagram.

Fabulous Famous Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • Servings: 7-8 dozen
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups minus 2 Tablespoons cake flour
  • 1 2/3 cups bread flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter (2 1/2 sticks), room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons ganulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 pounds chopped chocolate
  • Sea salt to sprinkle

Directions

  1. Line cookie tray with a silicon mat or parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flours, baking soda, bakign powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars until very light, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
  5. Add the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over mix.
  6. Fold in chopped chocolate.
  7. Scoop the dough using a 1-inch cookie scoop and place each dough ball next to each other on a lined cookie tray to chill for 24-72 hours. *note: you can also place in a container with parchment paper and freeze.
  8. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place dough 2 inches apart on lined cookie trays. Sprinkle the top with sea salt.
  9. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden.

Taste tested with love by friends and family.

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

Amanda Jane1 Comment

Light, chewy, and moist coconut macaroons dipped in chocolate.

9 more days till Christmas! We’re celebrating with coconut macaroons! Don’t get them confused with the French macaron though. Coconut macaroons are a mixture of coconut and egg whites that form a sweet and chewy cookie. French macarons are whipped egg whites that get folded in with almond flour and sandwiched with various fillings.

Every week until Christmas, I will be posting some of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes! So far this month, I have made Greek Sesame Twist Cookies, Perfect Peanut Butter Blossoms, and Super Simple Nutella Lover’s Chocolate Cookies. Follow my blog and my Instagram so you don’t miss a recipe!

These cookies are definitely for the Coconut lovers, and they are super easy to make. I like to add a little bit of cake flour to my cookies, which is not necessarily traditional. I like to add the cake flour because it makes the cookies a little more tender and soft. I also like to dip my macaroons in chocolate because, in this house, we love chocolate!

To make these cookies, begin by pulsing the coconut flakes in a food processor to make smaller flakes. I like to pulse the shredded coconut because it looks smoother and less messy in the final product. In a heat safe bowl over a pot of simmering water, heat the egg whites, sugar, and salt until warm to the touch. Remove from heat and add the extracts, baking powder, flour and coconut. Freeze for 25 minutes or refrigerate for 2 hours. Once chilled, use a 1-inch cookie scoop, and scoop the dough and place 2 inches apart on a prepared cookie sheet. Bake until just golden.

Dipping the macaroons in chocolate makes these cookies even better than they already are, but it is totally optional! After baking, you can put the macaroons into the fridge and chill for an hour. Then, dip the macaroons in melted chocolate. I just used Nestle chocolate chips and melted about 1/2 a cup of chocolate chips in a double boiler. Let the chocolate set in the fridge again. Enjoy!

I would love to see you try out my coconut macaroons! Tag me in your pictures on Instagram @beyondbakingwithamandajane!

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

  • Servings: 12 cookies
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients

    For the cookie:
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 cup cake flour
    • For the chocolate (optional):
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate

Directions

  1. In a food processor, pulse the coconut into small flakes.
  2. On medium heat, bring a pot of water to a simmer for a double boiler.
  3. In the top of the double boiler, add the egg whites, sugar, and salt. Whisk continuously until warm to the touch.
  4. Remove from heat, add in the vanilla, almond, baking powder, salt, flour, and shredded coconut. Mix until well combined. Freeze for 25 minutes or refrigerate for 2 hours.
  5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, place balls 2 inches apart on a prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until just golden. Remove from oven and let cool.
  6. If you want to dip in chocolate, refrigerate until chilled. Melt chocolate in a double boiler and dip in chocolate. Let the chocolate set in the refrigerator.

Taste tested with love by friends and family.

Super Simple Nutella Lover’s Chocolate Cookie

Amanda Jane4 Comments

Chewy and fudgy chocolate hazelnut cookies for all Nutella and chocolate lovers.

Ever since elementary school when I started eating Nutella sandwiches I was obsessed. I remember coming home from school with my grandma, and as part of my after-school snack, she would give me a big spoonful of Nutella and tell me to not tell my mom. I loved it, it made me so happy. To this day, Nutella is my favorite spread. I love to use it as a cake fillings, pretzel dip, eat it plain, or in a Kinder Egg. I had yet to make Nutella cookies until coming across this recipe from Ambitious Kitchen.

These cookies are so easy, chewy, fudgy and only 5 ingredients! I was skeptical of this recipe because there was no butter, minimal sugar, and no leavener. I was so wrong! These cookies are so yummy AND they are the easiest cookies I have ever made. They are chewy and full of Nutella galore, and they are even more addictive than just plain Nutella.

This recipe only requires one bowl. Mix all the ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Then, using a 1-inch cookie scoop, roll the dough into a smooth ball. Place the dough balls on a tray and freeze for 10 minutes before baking. If you want to add even more chocolate to these cookies, you can press a few chocolate chips into the dough ball before baking. Then, bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the top of the cookie does not feel raw.

The Nutella lover in me loves this cookie recipe! I like the chew these cookies have along with the fudginess of the Nutella. Also, this cookie is so good with a nice glass of milk (or almond milk). I hope you give this recipe a try!

I would love to see your recreation of these Nutella cookies from Ambitious Kitchen! Tag me on Instagram @beyondbakingwithamandajane! Enjoy!

Super Simple Nutella Lover's Chocolate Cookie

  • Servings: 20 cookies
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup Nutella
  • 2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup flour + 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • Sea salt for sprinkling

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 cookie trays with parchment paper.
  2. In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine the Nutella, brown sugar, egg, and flour until well combined.
  3. Using a cookie scoop, roll 1-inch dough balls. Freeze dough balls for 10 minutes.
  4. Place dough balls 2-inches apart on prepared cookie tray. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Taste tested by friends and family with love.

Perfect Peanut Butter Blossoms

Amanda Jane5 Comments

Soft and airy peanut butter cookie with a warm, gooey Hershey’s Kiss on top.

15 more days until Christmas! This week I am sharing a more recent recipe that I have added to my cookie recipe binder. These are my Perfect Peanut Butter Blossoms from Hershey Chocolate! Every week until Christmas, I will be posting a Christmas Cookie recipe, so follow along on my blog and on my social media so you don’t miss a recipe! Last week I shared a family classic, Greek Sesame Twist Cookies, if you missed it, don’t forget to check it out!

These Perfect Peanut Butter Blossoms take me straight back to junior year, high school varsity gymnastics. The captain’s mom would make these cookies for all of our psych parties, hang outs, and county and sectional meets. It was a staple for our team. These cookies might as well have been our team mascot. When the captain graduated, the recipe got passed down to me to make for all of the team events, and when I graduated, I passed down the recipe to the future captains.

Once I got the recipe, I not only made them almost every week for my team, but I also started to make them as part of my Christmas cookie spread. This was the first time my family had tried these cookies and they were gone before dinner was even served! They are the perfect cookie because it satisfies the candy lovers and the cookie lovers with the Hershey’s kiss on top of the cookie.

These cookies are very airy. Even when you make the dough, you will realize that the dough seems almost whipped which is surprising because peanut butter is pretty dense. This is my favorite quality of the cookie, the lightness prevents the peanut butter from overpowering the chocolate kiss on top. I also like to roll the dough balls in granulated sugar before they get baked so there is a little bit of extra sweetness and texture. As with most baked goods, the best time to eat these are when they are still warm from the oven because the chocolate kiss will still be gooey, but they are also delicious when they are all completely cooled.

When making the cookies, it is just like your typical cookie dough. Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars together until it is fluffy and pale in color. Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Then, add the dry ingredients. I used a one inch cookie scoop to make evenly sized cookies. I then rolled the dough in granulated sugar until it was generously covered.

Then, bake the cookies for 8 minutes for softer cookies or 10 minutes for crunchier cookies. While the cookies are baking unwrap the same number of Hershey’s Kisses as number of cookies you have. You should have about 40.

Once the cookies come out of the oven quickly and gently push one kiss into the center of the cookie. The edges will crinkle a little bit, but be sure to not push the kiss down all the way or the cookie may break. You can also spice up your cookie with different variations of Hershey’s kisses! Wait 5 minutes for the chocolate kiss to get gooey and warm, and enjoy!

Perfect Peanut Butter Blossoms

  • Servings: 40 Cookies
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use chunky)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup granulated sugar for rolling (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line 3 cookies sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
  3. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
  4. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined.
  5. Scoop 1 1/2 inch dough balls and roll them in granulated sugar. Place on a prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
  6. Bake for 8-10 minutes. While the cookies are baking, unwrap the same number of kisses as cookie dough balls you have.
  7. Remove the cookies from the oven and gently push one Hershey’s Kiss into the center of the cookie. Let sit for 5 minutes for the chocolate to warm.

Taste tested by friends and family with love.

Mini Pecan Pie Tarts

Amanda Jane4 Comments

Flakey and buttery crust with a sweet, gooey, and nutty pecan filling.

It’s the holiday season! Thanksgiving is right around the corner! That means it is time to get baking! Today, I want to share these mini pecan pie tarts! This recipe comes from my mom’s coworker’s mom. Every year around Thanksgiving, my mom’s coworker would bring them into the office to share, and my mom would bring some home for me in a little paper coffee cup. After many years of looking forward to these mini tarts around Thanksgiving, we finally got the recipe!

The tarts have a cream cheese, flakey and buttery crust that perfectly complements the gooey pecan center. Before this recipe, I would not have thought to use cream cheese for a pie crust. It sounded a bit weird to me, but the cream cheese actually adds a nice mild tang to the flakey crust. This sets the perfect base for the nutty filling and a perfect bite of pie for this year’s Thanksgiving!

These mini pecan pies are so cute and simple to make! Begin by cutting 48 strips of parchment paper about 6×0.25-inch to place in each mini-cupcake tin before pressing the pie crust in. This will make your life so much easier when you are ready to remove each pie after baking. Then, make the dough and roll about 3/4 Tablespoon of dough into a ball and place in each cupcake slot. Next, using your fingers, press the dough around the edges of the cupcake tin. Place about 2 teaspoons chopped pecans in each cup and set aside. Adding the pecans now, before the syrup mixture, will prevent drips and spillage when filling the pies with the syrup mixture. Next, fill each pie with the syrup until about 3/4 full. Bake and enjoy!

I would love to see these mini pecan pies on your dessert tables this Thanksgiving (or year-round)! Use #beyondbakingwithamandajane and tag me @beyondbakingwithamandajane on Instagram, so I can see your incredible pies! Have a safe and relaxing Thanksgiving!

This recipe is originally from Darlene at My Burning Kitchen.

Mini Pecan Tarts

  • Servings: 48 mini pies
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
  • 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons melted butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place 6×0.25 inch rectangle strips of parchment paper in 48 mini cupcake tins.
  2. Cream butter and cream cheese together. Add flour and mix well.
  3. Form into 48 equal balls and place one ball in each cup of the cupcake tin. Use your fingers evenly spread the dough into the pan. Sprinkle some pecans into each complete mold.
  4. In a medium bowl, beat eggs with a whisk until frothy.
  5. Add the sugar, melted butter, salt, and vanilla. Mix well. Fill each tart 3/4 of the way full.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown.

Taste tested by friends and family with love.

John’s Classic New York Style Cheesecake

Amanda Jane1 Comment

Creamy, smooth, and delicious New York Style Cheesecake with a sweet, buttery graham cracker crust.

When I was younger, I had always thought cheesecake was only an adult dessert. So, it was never my “Go-To” dessert when the dessert menu came around at restaurants. However, whenever my mom made this cheesecake, I would have seconds and thirds. This is the best cheesecake I have ever had! Like my Dad’s Apple Pecan Crumb Bread recipe, this is another recipe that my Dad had given my mom when they were dating. This recipe was given to my Dad and his family a long time ago from their old Italian neighbor when they were growing up in New York’s Little Italy.

Since I was young, this cheesecake has been a huge hit at every party we brought it to. There are normally little to no left overs because people keep going back for more! This cheesecake is so creamy and smooth with the perfect amount of sweetness. It is very light and rich with flavor. Not only is the filling absolutely delicious, but the graham cracker crust perfectly ties the cake together with its texture and sweet and buttery flavor.

Making this cheesecake is very straight forward. Begin by crushing the graham crackers into small crumbs. When I was younger, my mom liked to put the graham crackers into a heavy duty zip lock bag and let me pound on the bag to crush up the crackers. This was always so fun to me and I felt like I was being a big help! Now that I am older, it is easier and faster for me to just put the crackers in a food processor to make crumbs. Then, mix in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Once mixed in, add the butter and combine all the ingredients together for the crust and pour it out into a 9-inch spring form pan. Use the bottom of a glass to compress the crust evenly throughout the bottom of the pan. Don’t forget to reserve a tablespoon or two of crust so you can do a little taste test ;)! Next, make the batter. Begin by whipping the cream cheese. It is very important to whip the cream cheese to make the batter lighter. Then, add the sugar, and then eggs one at a time. Make sure to beat well after the addition of each egg. Next, add everything else and beat well. Pour all the batter on top of the crust and put the cheesecake in the refrigerator while the oven is pre-heating.

Baking the cake is a little different. It is very important to set up a water bath for the cake to bake in to prevent the cheesecake from cracking. The water should be about a 1/4-inch high. Bake for 60 minutes. The cheesecake will not change much in color, but 60 minutes will be long enough for the cake to bake. After the hour, do not open the oven door! Turn off the oven and let the cake sit in the oven for another hour. This is when the top of the cheesecake will become a nice golden brown.

I like to refrigerate the cake and serve it cold, but it can also be served at room temperature. This cheesecake is perfect to eat as is or with fresh berries! Enjoy!

I would love to see your cheesecakes! Tag me in your creations on Instagram @beyondbakingwithamandajane and use the #beyondbakingwithamandajane !

John's Classic New York Style Cheesecake

  • Servings: 1- 9-inch Cheesecake
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients

    For the crust:
  • 1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs (about 15 crackers)
  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 6 Tablespoons butter, softened

    • For the Filling:

  • 3 8-oz packages cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 c. sour cream
  • 1 c. heavy cream
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. For the crust, mix graham cracker crumbs with brown sugar and cinnamon. Blend in the softened butter.
  2. Using the bottom of a glass or your hands, press the crust over the bottom of the buttered 9-inch spring form pan. Set aside.
  3. For the filling, place softened cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip the cream cheese for 3-4 minutes. Beat in the sugar. Then beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  4. Add the sour cream, heavy cream, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat well.
  5. Pour the batter overtop the crust and place in the refrigerator while the oven is preheating.
  6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  7. When the oven is preheated, place the spring form pan into a water bath (about 1/4 inch of water). Bake on the middle rack for 60 minutes.
  8. After 60 minutes, turn off the oven and leave in the oven for 1 hour, do not open the oven door.

Taste tested with love by friends and family.

Pumpkin Shaped Pastel Sugar Cookies

Amanda Jane6 Comments

Sweet and delicious jack-o-lantern sugar cookies with a cute chocolate chip smile!

It is almost Halloween! Halloween is less than a week away, and I want to share my favorite Halloween dessert! My mom has been making these cookies with my siblings and me since before I was born. She got this recipe from her 1001 Cookie Recipes Cookbook, and over the years, we have figured out how to make this recipe as delicious and easy as possible!

These pumpkin sugar cookies are a fun and perfect Halloween dessert. They are light and soft with a perfect amount of sweetness. We add a chocolate chip jack-o-lantern face for spooky spirits. These cookies are so cute for the Halloween season!

This recipe is very simple. Begin with mixing the ingredients to form the dough. Take 1/8 of the dough, and dye this small amount of dough green for the stem of the pumpkin. I like to keep the remaining dough in the bowl of the stand mixer to mix in the orange dye. When dying the dough, keep in mind that after baking, the color of the cookie lightens up a little bit.

The dough definitely needs to be chilled before cutting and baking because the dough is very soft. After years of making these cookies, I have found that it is easiest to roll out the dough prior to chilling so it is easier to transfer onto a baking sheet. The dough should be rolled about 1/4-inch thick. Once I cut 3-inch circles out of the dough, I re-roll it between the parchment paper and put that sheet of dough back in the refrigerator. I then begin cutting the next chilled sheet of dough. Then, take a small amount of chilled green dough and shape it into a small rectangle for the stem. Gently press it into the top of the circle to make the pumpkin. Lastly, use chocolate chips to make a cute smile on each cookie! You can also use raisins for this.

Bake for 7-10 minutes at 350 degrees F. The cookies will not brown too much. Let them cool on wire racks and enjoy!

I would love to see your jack-o-lantern sugar cookies on social media! I can’t wait to see your creations! You can tag me on Instagram @beyondbakingwithamamdajane and use the hashtag #beyondbakingwithamandajane! Happy baking!

Pumpkin Shaped Pastel Sugar Cookies

  • Servings: 3 dozen cookies
  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients

  • 3 1/4 c all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 6 Tablespoons milk

Directions

  1. In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar.
  3. Beat in the egg yolks. Beat in the milk.
  4. Gradually add in the dry ingredients until dough is formed.
  5. Remove about 1/8 of the dough, and dye green for the stems. Dye the rest of the dough orange.
  6. Divide the orange dough into 3 pieces. Roll each piece between two sheets of parchment paper until 1/4 inch thick. Place all 3 sheets of dough on a tray and chill for 3-4 hours. Press the green dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap to chill.
  7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  8. Once chilled, cut 3-inch circles in the orange dough and place on a parchment lined baking tray. Take a small piece of green dough and shape into a rectangle and press one end on top of the pumpkin. Decorate with chocolate chips.
  9. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes.

Taste tested by friends and family with love.

3 Ingredient, Easy and Energizing Chia Peanut Butter Oat Bites

Amanda Jane2 Comments

Simple, filling, and healthy vegan chia peanut butter balls for quick energy

I am in week seven of being back on campus for my sophomore year, and I am getting tired of the pre-made food that is in the dining hall. Although I don’t have the space and equipment to do my normal baking, I have the dining hall to get basic ingredients for quick and easy recipes! I am sharing one of my favorite things to make while I am at school with only ingredients that I can get from the dining hall.

These vegan peanut butter energy balls are very simple to make, and they are perfect for on-the-go, quick energy. I love to bring these to the library with me when I know it’s going to be a long night of studying, and it helps keep me awake. These energy balls are also a refreshing post-workout snack especially if you eat them straight from the refrigerator or freezer! This is an easy, 3 ingredient recipe that is perfect for a quick energy boost.

I do not have a car on campus, so I am relying on getting all ingredients for this recipe at my dining hall on my meal plan. I am able to get the oats from the pre-packaged, microwaveable instant oatmeal cups, and I can get the chia seeds from the salad bar area. Getting the peanut butter is more complicated this year because, with all the Covid precautions my school is taking, we no longer have a “spreads station” where I would normally scoop as much peanut butter as I need into a takeout container. Instead, they have a basket of small Smucker’s 3/4 oz packets of peanut butter for us to take. So, after every meal, I grab a few from the basket and keep them in my room. I have been stocking up on these mini peanut butter packets just so I could make these snacks!

Making these energy balls is simple. Seeing as how I don’t have measuring cups here at school, I eyeball everything and alter it based on the consistency of the batter. I mix about one part peanut butter to two-part oats with a big scoop of chia seeds. I used about seven of the 3/4oz peanut butter packets, about a cup of oats, and a couple of spoons of chia seeds to make ten energy balls. The “dough” shouldn’t be too wet where the peanut butter is excessively sticking to your hands and it shouldn’t be too dry where the ball won’t stay together. Roll the dough into balls and put in the refrigerator or freezer in an air-tight container! You can make these energy bites as big or as small as you want. I like to make mine bite-size, about a Tablespoon to Tablespoon and a half big.

Keep in mind that this is a very basic recipe. Feel free to spice it up and add in your own ingredients! You can add in nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, m&m’s, different types of seeds, the possibilities are endless! For peanut allergies, you can also use another type of nut or seed butter, and you can even make these energy balls gluten-free by just use gluten-free oats! Find your favorite combination and let me know what you like best!

For those of you making this recipe with the luxury of measuring utensils, the recipe is below! Give these energy balls a try, and tag me with your creations @beyondbakingbyamandajane on Instagram! Enjoy!

3 Ingredient, Easy and Energizing Peanut Butter Oat Bites

  • Rating: ★★★★★
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter, or nut or seed butter of choice
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
  • 1/4 cup nuts (optional)

Directions

  1. Stir all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Shape the dough into desired size.
  3. Optional: sprinkle sea salt on top of each ball.
  4. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Taste tested with love by family and friends.