Layered Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan pie…so Thanksgiving! This year my family is doing a low-key Thanksgiving because we have tickets to the Texas vs. TCU game in Austin. So instead of doing a fancy pecan pie from scratch, I opted for a pecan pie dessert. This has a yummy layer of chocolate pecan goodness in between to give a little bit of a surprise.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Layered Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

Yields one 13″ x 9″ pan

Ingredients for the crust and chocolate layers:

• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 cup granulated white sugar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1 ounce Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• 3/8 cup (or 1/4 cup & 2 tablespoons) shortening
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Ingredients for the pecan pie layer:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups pecans, chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F, and prepare the 13″ x 9″ pan with parchment paper and spray all over with nonstick spray.

In a food processor, place 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of white sugar, and the salt.  Pulse together until all is combined well. Next, add the cold pieces of butter, and pulse until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Dump the crust mixture in the prepared pan, and press firmly on the bottom.

Place the chocolate chips and the shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Place in the microwave at 50% power for 1-1.5 minutes. Stir together to get rid of most of the lumps. Add in 1/2 cup white sugar, pecans, 1/2 cup flour, eggs, and the vanilla. Mix until all is combined. Dump this chocolate mixture over the crust, and press firmly as a layer on top. Take a fork and stab the layer all over. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.

While the crust and chocolate layer are in the oven, work on the pecan pie top. In a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, place the brown sugar, white sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Stir occasionally, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it hits boiling, turn off the heat and remove from the burner.

In a medium bowl, whisk the 4 eggs together. Add about 1 cup of the hot sugar mixture while continually whisking. (I don’t have photos of this because I unfortunately only have 2 hands.) Once well combined, add the remainder of the hot sugar mixture.

Dump in the pecans and vanilla extract. Stir until everything is well combined.

Pour the pecan pie mixture into the pan, and place in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and allow the pan to completely cool before cutting.

Enjoy!!

“Harry: Repeat after me. Pepper.
Sally: Pepper.
Harry: Pepper.
Sally: Pepper.
Harry: Waiter, there is too much pepper on my paprikash.
Sally: Waiter, there is too much pepper on my paprikash.
Harry: But I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie.
Sally: But I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie.
Harry: Pecan piiiiie.
Sally: Pecan piiiiie.”
– When Harry Met Sally

Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Cookies

Have you tried the raspberry cheesecake cookies at Subway yet? They are delicious. The idea of a cheesecake flavored cookie instantly intrigued me. After doing a few iterations and some research, this is the recipe I landed on. Happy nomming!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Cookies

Yields about 30-36 cookies

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 4 ounces (half of one brick) cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 large eggs
• 2 (7 ounces) packages blueberry muffin mix (I used Jiffy.)
• 1.5 cups white chocolate chips

Directions:

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the butter, shortening, and brown sugar.  Beat together until all is combined smoothly.

Add the cream cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix until just combined (some pieces of cream cheese are fine).

Next, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Remove the bowl from the stand, and dump in the two bags of muffin mix. Stir until everything is just incorporated. Add the chocolate , and stir.

Place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.

Once the time has elapsed, preheat oven to 325°F, and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a tablespoon cookie scoop or roll dough into tablespoon-size balls with your hands. Place on the lined baking sheets about 2-inches apart.

Place them in the oven for  for 12-15 minutes or just until just turning golden brown around the edges. (I found that if I placed my baking sheet on the bottom rack, the cookies rose more in the oven.)

Remove from the oven, and allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before moving to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat until all of the dough has been used. I also found it helpful to place the dough in the refrigerator while baking cookies to keep the dough firm.

Eat immediately or share if you are a sweet person!

Enjoy!!

“Life is uncertain.  Eat dessert first.”
– Ernestine Ulmer

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a common side dish. Mashed sweet potatoes are harder to find out at restaurants (unless if you reside in the south). The nutritional values of sweet potatoes heavily outweigh those of regular potatoes. So not only is this side yummy, it’s also better for you than the traditional. Savory and sweet flavors meet to make this a regular in our home!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, rinsed, peeled, and diced
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Put the sweet potato pieces in a medium pot with cold water. Place over high heat, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, lower to a simmer. Continue to simmer until the pieces are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Drain potatoes thoroughly, and either put it back in the pot or move to another bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients. Next mash the mixture with a masher, immersion blender, or a paddle attachment on a stand mixer.

Serve warm.

Enjoy!!

“In the southern half of the country perhaps no crop has larger possibilities for quick increase of production of food for both men and animals than the sweet potato.”
– David F. Houston

Slow Cooker Beer Bratwursts

This year some of our friends got to go to Oktoberfest in Germany. Since we couldn’t join them, I decided to make a little German meal at home. I served this easy slow cooker meal with my cheese spätzle.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Slow Cooker Beer Bratwursts

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 medium granny smith apple, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 red onion, julienned
• 5 uncooked bratwurst links
• 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bottle (12 ounces) amber ale (I used Shiner Oktoberfest.)

Directions:

Place your slow cooker lining in your slow cooker, if you like to use them. I also like to spray mine with non-stick cooking spray just to avoid the food sticking. (Better safe than sorry in our household.)

Layer the apples and onions at the bottom of the slow cooker.

Next place the bratwurst and garlic on top.

In a measuring cup, mix the apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Pour this over the layered mixture in the slow cooker.

Finally, pour the bottle of beer over everything.

Cover and cook on low for about 6-8 hours.

Serve warm alone or in a hoagie bun with a side.

Enjoy!!

“You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline – it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.” -Frank Zappa

Soft Cinnamon Apple Cookies

Umm. These were quite the accident. I was playing around with the idea of cheesecake cookies (more to come on that later). I love apple pies, but unfortunately my body doesn’t. Whenever I have apples, my mouth gets all itchy and uncomfortable. So whenever I can make something in a cinnamon apple flavor, I do it! Plus, I have been eyeing those interesting little cinnamon chips in the baking aisle, and this was a PERFECT place for them. This also happens to be the ideal time to make this autumn delight since the holidays are coming up!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Soft Cinnamon Apple Cookies

Yields about 28-36 cookies

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces (half of one brick) cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 (7 ounces) packages apple cinnamon muffin mix (I used Jiffy.)
• 1.5 cups cinnamon chips (I used Hershey’s; they are found in the baking aisle along with the other chocolate chips.)

Directions:

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the cream cheese, butter, shortening, and brown sugar.  Beat together until all is combined smoothly.

Next, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Remove the bowl from the stand, and dump in the two bags of muffin mix. Stir until everything is just incorporated. Add the cinnamon chips, and stir.

Place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.

Once the time has elapsed, preheat oven to 325°F, and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a tablespoon cookie scoop or roll dough into tablespoon-size balls with your hands. Place on the lined baking sheets about 2-inches apart.

Place them in the oven for  for 12-14 minutes or just until just turning golden brown around the edges. (I found that if I placed my baking sheet on the bottom rack, the cookies rose more in the oven.)

Remove from the oven, and allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before moving to wire racks to cool completely. (Since I was packing these for travel, I let it sit on some wax paper on our kitchen island before I moved it to a sealable container.) Repeat until all of the dough has been used. I also found it helpful to place the dough in the refrigerator while baking cookies to keep the dough firm.

Serve with milk or warm apple cider in these cooler fall months!

Enjoy!!

“Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap.”
– Barbara Jordan

Healthy Tilapia Escabeche

Escabeche is a common dish in the Philippines. It’s usually served as a whole fish, lapu-lapu or tilapia, that is deep fried with a sweet and sour type sauce. In this recipe, I used fillets instead of a whole fish and baked the panko breading on instead of deep frying. The roots of this dish are Spanish and Chinese with Filipino flair and local produce.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Healthy Tilapia Escabeche

2 Servings

Ingredients:

• olive oil cooking spray
• 1 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs (can substitute regular panko bread crumbs)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tilapia fillets
• salt and black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons water, divided
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 inches ginger, peeled and julienned
• 1 green bell pepper, julienned
• 2 stalks celery, julienned
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned
• 4 green onions, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 1 cup jasmine rice, cooked

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Cover a small baking sheet with foil, and spray with nonstick olive oil cooking spray. Place the panko on a plate, and beat the egg in a small bowl. Season tilapia fillets with salt and pepper on each side.

Dip each piece of fish into then beaten egg bowl and then into the bread crumbs, be sure to shake off the excess at each dipping.

Place the breaded tilapia on the prepared baking sheet, and spray with cooking spray again. Place the sheet in the oven, and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and set aside.

While the fish is in the oven start on the sauce. Place the vinegar, 1 cup of water, brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a measuring cup. Stir to combine.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until they have softened. Next, add the vinegar mixture and ginger.  Bring the mixture to a boil, and then add the rest of the vegetables.

Take the remaining 2 tablespoons of water and corn starch and combine them in the already used measuring cup. Whisk the ingredients together so that there are no lumps. Add this to the sauce, and cook until it reaches the desired thickness.

Place 1/2 cup of rice on each serving plate. Top with the fish fillet, and pour the sauce and vegetables on top.

Serve warm.

Enjoy!!

“A person who does not remember where he/she came from will never each his/her destination.”- Filipino Proverb

Chipotle Sloppy Joe Baked Potatoes

I have not been cooking recently, but it’s about time I get back to it. I feel more like myself when I spend time in the kitchen. After a recharging weekend, I have been reinvigorated to cook and bake once again. Yesterday, I was craving a sloppy joe and baked potatoes. So naturally I decided that they would be fabulous together. 😀

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Chipotle Sloppy Joe Baked Potatoes

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 4 russet potatoes (even sized)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil + some to coat the potatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt + some to sprinkle on top of the baking potatoes
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 cup white onions, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, minced (I removed the seeds and the ribs from mine.)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (12 ounces) can tomatoes
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 chipotle in adobo, roughly chopped
• 1 cup chipotle cheddar cheese, shredded, for serving (optional)
• 1/2 sour cream, for serving (optional)
• 1 cup fresh cilantro sprigs, for serving (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F, and cover a small baking sheet with foil.

Scrub the potatoes under cold running water, and dry them well. Stab the potatoes on all sides with a fork to allow the steam to escape while baking. Rub the potatoes with olive oil, and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each potato with some salt. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 45 minutes.

While the potatoes cook in the oven work on the filling. Place a small pan over medium heat, and add the coriander seeds. Cook until they are toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes.

In another large saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the ground pork, bacon pieces, toasted coriander seeds, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook until meat is halfway browned while stirring occasionally. Next, add the onions, jalapeños, and garlic. Continue to cook until the meat is browned, the vegetables have softened, and the garlic is fragrant.

Add the tomatoes, ketchup, flour, sugar, vinegar, and the chopped chipotle in adobo. Stir and lower the heat to a simmer. Allow to cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Once the potatoes have finished baking, remove them from the oven and set aside.

Cut each potato open, and fluff the inside with a fork. Spoon the sloppy joe mixture into the opening, and top with chipotle cheddar cheese, sour cream, and cilantro.

Serve warm.

Enjoy!!

“To catch the ball, face up, look at all of my options and then pass. I was playing hot potato. I didn’t want to be the guy to stall the triangle.” – Karl Malone

Tangy Beer Pork Chops

Here’s another pork chop recipe. I love how pork picks up flavors so easily. This recipe even gives you the excuse to drink beer…so why not try it?! 😀

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Tangy Beer Pork Chops

2 Servings*

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces (half a bottle/can) light beer – drink the rest 😉
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 boneless center cut pork loin chops
• sea salt
• black pepper, freshly ground
• garlic powder

*Half way through cooking this, I doubled the recipe so we could have left overs for lunch the next day.

Directions:

In a medium bowl or a measuring cup, combine the first 3 ingredients with a whisk. (I like to mix mine in a measuring cup so it’s easier to pour into the pan.) Set aside.

Liberally season the pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder on both sides.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Cook the pork chops for 3 minutes on each side.

Slowly pour the beer mixture over the pork chops, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low heat and simmer, for 10-15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center reads 160°F.

Remove the pork chops from the skillet and place on a plate. Cover them with foil keep them warm.

Continue to let the sauce simmer until it has reduced to half of the original amount, about 5 minutes.

To serve, plate the pork chops and drizzle the sauce over them. Serve warm.

Enjoy!!

“You know what? Maybe Dr. Atkins was right. Maybe the way to go is to eat pork chops with a big hunk of butter on top. Maybe we have been wrong, and maybe he has been right.” – Elizabeth Cohen

Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Hey CUPCAKE! 😀 Last week, it was decided I should bring some kind of dessert to work for my boss’s last week in our department. I have always loved filled cupcakes. In the past, all the recipes I have seen have called for baking the cupcakes, removing some of the middle, and inserting the filling. Although delicious, I didn’t think this was an efficient way for a filled cupcake. The engineer in me knew that there had to be an optimized way! This cupcake is what I came up with…chocolate chip cookie dough and chocolate cake in perfect happiness topped with brown sugar frosting! Chocoholic and cookie dough lovers, I’m lookin’ at you.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Yields 2.5 dozen

Ingredients for the cupcakes:

• 1.75 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated white sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder, dutch processed
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1.25 cups (2.5 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 eggs, large
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup (8 ounces) coffee
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2.5 cups chocolate chip cookie dough, rolled into balls about the diameter of a dime

Ingredients for the brown sugar frosting:

• 1.5 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3.5 cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 2.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
• mini chocolate chips, for decoration

Directions for the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350°F, and line your cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. In a separate large bowl (I use my stand mixer bowl.), cream the butter, eggs, and oil. Once incorporated, slowly add the coffee, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. With your mixer on low-speed, slowly pour the dry ingredient bowl into the wet in thirds. Mix for 2 minutes. The batter will not be very thick, but that is fine!

Pour batter into the prepared cupcake pan, filling a little over halfway up the liner (60%).

Bake for 7 minutes and then pull out of the oven to add the cookie dough balls to the center of each cupcake.

Place the pan back in the oven for an additional 12 minutes to finish baking.

Cool cupcakes in pan for 5 minutes, and then remove from pan to cool completely.

Directions for the brown sugar frosting:

In a bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. (This can be done with a hand mixer as well.) Reduce the mixer speed to low, and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar until completely combined and to avoid making a mess. Next add the flour and salt. Finally add the milk and vanilla extract, mixing until well combined and smooth, about 3-4 minutes.

Place the icing in a piping bag with wanted pastry tip. (I used my Wilton 1M.) Pipe the frosting over the top of each cupcake.

Top each cupcake with a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips!

Enjoy!!