Bake or Break

Black-Bottom Coconut Bars

I found this recipe when I was searching for something to make for a friend’s birthday treat. Luckily for me, that just happened to be a friend who loves coconut. I don’t get many chances to bake with coconut, so I take every opportunity I get.

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Peanut Butter Pie with Cookie Crust

Peanut butter and chocolate go together about as well as anything else I can think of in the food world. I’ve had a long-time love affair with that combination. There’s nothing fancy about it, but it’s just plain delicious. This pie is no exception.

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Chocolate-Caramel Bars

For those of you still keeping tabs on BoB, don’t give up on me. I have not been able to bake and post with the frequency I’d like. I hope to remedy that as best I can.

Happy holidays, everyone!

These days, I’m all about quick and easy. The time of all-day baking sprees has passed. I take what baking time I can get. This recipe is a perfect example of making the most of very little time and few ingredients.

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Max Brenner’s Fudge Brownies

Recently, I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Max Brenner’s new book, Chocolate: A Love Story. Having enjoyed visiting one of his shops in New York, I was anxious to try out some recipes. Actually titled “A philosophical highly concentrated fudge brownie,” this chocolate extravagance cried out from the book’s pages to be made as soon as possible. Who am I to argue?

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Chocolate Salted-Caramel Mini Cupcakes

I could begin this post by apologizing for my blogging absence and giving you all the reasons that I’ve been on an unplanned hiatus, but after getting a good look at these cupcakes I’m sure you’d rather I get right to the business at hand. Chocolate cupcakes + salted caramel = incredibly good!

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Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

I’m not a huge fan of Oreos or, really, any kind of store-bought cookie. I have spoiled myself with the homemade variety. That being said, I am not the least bit hesitant to use store-bought cookies as an ingredient, like with these cheesecakes.

The crust of these little treats is actually a whole Oreo, not crumbs. Leaving the cookie intact makes for a thick crust that gets nice and soft after they’ve baked and chilled. Topping off those Oreos is one of my favorite things – cheesecake. Of course, it wouldn’t meet the legal definition of a cookies and cream cheesecake without even more Oreos mixed into the cheesecake. I especially like the addition of sour cream to the cheesecake filling. It offsets all that sweet with just a little bit of tartness.

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