Meatloaf Burgers

It's not very often that I blog about savory dishes and that isn't because I don't cook, it's just that by the time dinner is ready, I am ready to eat and I don't feel like taking pictures of it! I knew I had to put these meatloaf burgers on here though because they are seriously super tasty and delicious. I found the recipe over at Framed who found it at Taste of the South, and she raved about how wonderful and scrumptious they were.

This is definetly not your average cheeseburger and that is why it sparked my interest, I love the flavor combination of savory, sweet and tart/tangy. The burger itself is made up of a meatloaf mix and it is very moist, juicy and flavorful and then it gets topped off with an amazing cheese spread that has cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, nuts, dried fruit, sweet vidalia onion etc. and it just makes the burger even more fantastic, plus it has bacon and then whatever other burger toppings you would like! This is a perfect summer meal to share with family and friends and I highly reccomend that you try it out! YUMMY!

Meatloaf Burgers: (adapted by me)

 Cheese Spread Ingredients:

-1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

-1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

-1/3 cup slivered toffee glazed almonds, slightly chopped

-1/4 cup minced Vidalia onion

-1/4 cup dried cranberries (I used cherry flavored craisins)

-2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

-1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

-1/4 teaspoon ground paprika

-1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, Cheddar, almonds, onion, cranberries, parsley, Worcestershire, paprika, and salt, mixing to blend. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Burger Ingredients:

-1 cup minced Vidalia onion

-1/2 cup minced red bell pepper

-1 clove garlic, minced

-1 cup dry bread crumbs

-1 large egg

-1/4 cup ketchup

-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

-1 tablespoon steak sauce

-1 teaspoon dry mustard

-1/2 teaspoon ground paprika

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

-1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck

-12 slices cooked bacon

-1 recipe fruit and nut cheese

-6 hamburger buns

-6 slices tomato, optional

-6 green lettuce leaves, optional

-Dijon mustard, optional

Directions:

1. Spray a large nonstick cooking skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, approximately 3 minutes. Add garlic, and stir for 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl, and let cool completely.

2. Add bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire, steak sauce, dry mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper to vegetable mixture, mixing well. Add ground chuck, mixing until just combined. Shape mixture into 6 patties, and place on a baking sheet. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

4. Grill burgers, turning once, just until they feel firm when pressed in the centers (meat should bounce back), approximately 5 minutes per side. Remove from heat, and immediately top each burger with 2 slices of bacon and desired amount of Fruit-and-Nut Cheese. Serve on buns, with tomato, lettuce, and Dijon mustard.

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

I saw this recipe for Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies at Lovin' from the Oven and I knew I had to try them because I love both Nutella and chocolate! These turned out really great, the Nutella flavor really stands out in these cookies and is the main flavor. Then, it is filled with chocolate chips and you can add chopped hazelnuts for crunch if you would like (the original recipe calls for them, but I am not a fan so I didn't add them), and you get a small hint of cinnamon flavor in the background which blends perfectly with the flavor of the cookie. These were moist and chewy and slightly crunchy on the edges and perfectly delicious!

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies:

-1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

-1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

-1/4 teaspoon baking powder

-1/4 teaspoon baking soda

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), softened

-2/3 cup granulated sugar

-1/3 cup light brown sugar

-2/3 cup Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)

-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

-1 large egg

-1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Mix together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

2. Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in Nutella and vanilla. Mix in vanilla.

3. Add flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Mix in chocolate chips.

4. Chill for at least 1 hour.

5. Drop tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for about 11 minutes until the edges look set. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then carefully remove to cooling racks.

Hot Fudge Sundae Brownies

You are just a handful of ingredients and a short prep time away from a very rich and decadant, yet easy to put together brownie that has a few fun ingredients! You take a boxed brownie mix and add  the normal eggs and oil called for on the box, omitting the water, and then you add your favorite ice cream, hot fudge and

chocolate chips! 

These brownies come out perfectly with crisp, chewy edges and centers that are really, really moist and very fudgey. It's hard to describe, but,  in a way, the texture of the centers of the brownies is almost smooth and creamy, and they almost melt-in-your-mouth, it  kind of reminds me of the centers of a chocolate molten lava cake. I think that the creaminess of the ice cream and the fudgey chocolate hot fudge gives these brownies the extra creamy, fudgey and ultra luscious centers.

These taste great at room temperature, or nooked in the microwave and served warm or go all out and serve it with a scoop of ice cream, some hot fudge, and of course, sprinkles!

                                               Ice Cream Sundae Brownies: (Picky Palate)

-1 Brownie mix for a 13x9-inch pan

-2 eggs

-1/2 cup vegetable oil

-Heaping 1/2 cup of your favorite ice cream

-1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

-1/4 cup hot fudge topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and foil and grease a 13x9-inch baking pan. Mix together the brownie mix, eggs and oil until combined. Scoop in the ice cream, chocolate chips and hot fudge; mix until combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool on a wire rack and cut and serve as desired.

Triple Chocolate Scotcheroos

All I can say is that these Triple Chocolate Scotcheroos are OUT OF THIS WORLD DELICIOUS! These little gems are packed full of chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate, a little peanut butter, some butterscotch chips and a surprise ingredient that many people go gaga over, including myself.....Nutella! Cocoa rice krispies, peanut butter and nutella mix together to form a sweet and chewy, crunchy and chocolately base and then it gets topped with smooth and dreamy chocolate and butterscotch chips that combine so perfectly together.

Thank-you David Lebovitz for this great little concoction, you are a genius!

He took a classic scotcheroo and in my opinion, amped them up about 10 notches! And, I am not trying to dis plain ol' scotcheroos because I am a big fan of them, but, I must say these triple chocolate ones are incredible, outstanding, chocolately, mouth-watering delicious (my mouth is getting watery right now!) and they made me really, really happy.....I was in pure bliss. Who knew that such a simple dessert could be so fantastic? You need to try these, ASAP!!! I am not kidding, especially if you are a chocolate lover like me : )! Have I convinced you yet? I don't think I can use anymore words to describe how fabulous these are!

Triple Chocolate Scotcheroos: (David Lebovitz, adapted by me)

-1 cup sugar

-1 cup light corn syrup

-1/2 cup peanut butter

-1/2 cup Nutella

-6 cups crisp chocolate-flavored rice cereal (Cocoa Rice Krispies Cereal)

-1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

-1 1/4 cups butterscotch chips

1. Butter or spray a 9x13-inch baking pan.

2. In a large saucepan (at least 6 quarts) over medium heat, bring the sugar and the corn syrup to a full boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and Nutella, then mix the rice cereal in until completely coated. Press the mixture into the greased pan, making sure the top is smooth.

3. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips together in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth and well-blended, about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Spread over rice cereal mixture and cool until set.

David Lebovitz describes these as pretty intense and on the sweet side, so bite-sized portions are in order, but, I could have eaten the whole pan  by myself!

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispies Treats

These bars are a twist on an old-time, but, still new-time favorite treat loved by many! 

A classic sticky, marshmallowy, crunchy and chewy rice krispie gets topped with another classic flavor combo loved by most; chocolate and peanut butter!

Smooth and creamy peanut butter gets mixed with chopped mini reesee's peanut butter cups and butterfingers. And as if that isn't enough, the peanut butter filling gets topped with more melted milk chocolate!

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispies Treats: (Brown Eyed Baker, adapted by me)

-6 cups Rice Krispies

-1 bag (10.5 oz.) miniature marshmallows, or 40 large marshmallows

-1/4 cup butter

-2 cups creamy peanut butter

-20 miniature peanut butter cups (6 oz.), quartered

-10 miniature butterfingers (6 oz.), roughly chopped

-1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

1. Spray a 13x9 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Measure the cereal into a large mixing bowl and set aside. Microwave the marshmallows and butter together in a large bowl until melted, about 3 minutes. Pour marshmallow mixture over cereal and mix well so that all the cereal is coated. Pour into prepared pan and press mixture evenly into pan.

3. In microwave, melt peanut butter until thin, about 1 minute. Gently stir in quartered peanut butter cups and butterfingers and then pour over the treats, spreading it evenly over the top.

4. Again, in the microwave, melt the milk chocolate chips and spread evenly over the top of the peanut butter mixture. Place pan in the refrigerator to set before cutting and serving. Store in an airtight container.

Mini Brownie Mosaic Cheesecakes

I found this recipe a while back here at Brown Eyed Baker's blog and I definitely reccomend checking out her blog, she has tons of awesome recipes. Although, I am not usually a cheesecake fan, this caught my eye because of my love affair with brownies and chocolate. I don't think I need to tell you anymore how much I absolutely adore brownies.....by themselves, frosted, warm and topped with ice cream, or in cheesecake! This recipe also caught my eye because cheesecake is my boyfriend's favorite dessert and when I saw this recipe I thought how perfect....both of our favorite desserts combined in one decadant masterpiece!  

 

The first time I made this cheesecake I made it exactly as the recipe said and without any modifications. I made it for a New Year's Eve party and I cut them into bite-sized pieces and it was a big hit and even better than I expected it to be since I am not a huge cheesecake fan! Everyone enjoyed it and raved about how good it was. This time I decided to experiment a bit with the recipe and I made them mini using cupcake pans and once again they turned out great! 

This cheesecake combines a crunchy double chocolate oreo cookie crust with a smooth and creamy cheesecake filling that is filled with chunks of fudgey brownies........All I can say is MMMMM!

Mini Brownie Mosaic Cheesecakes: (Brown Eyed Baker, adapted by me)

Makes 24

For the Brownies:

-4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

-2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

-2 cups sugar

-3 eggs

-1 tsp. vanilla

-1 cup sifted flour

OR:

-1 boxed brownie mix, plus ingredients called for on the box

(I have done it both ways and both of them turned out great.)

For the Crust:

-1 1/2 cups finely ground double chocolate oreos

-5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

-1/3 cup sugar

-1/8 tsp. salt

For the Cheesecake:

-3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

-4 large eggs

-1 tsp.vanilla

-1 cup sugar

To make the brownies, in a small saucepan, melt chocolate and 1 stick of butter over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth. Let mixture cool completely. In a a large bowl, cream together the remaining one stick butter and the sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Stir in vanilla and the chocolate mixture. Add the flour and a pinch of salt. Stir until the mixture is well-blended. Pour into a greased 13x9-inch pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes or until it pulls away slightly from sides and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with fudgey crumbs (do not overbake). Cool pan on wire rack. After the brownies have cooled completely, cut them into 3/4-1" squares for use in the cheesecake. Set aside 2 cups for the recipe, and will have many extra brownies left over.

For the Cheesecake:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 standard cupcake tins with paper liners (you will need 24). Stir together all the crust ingredients until well combined. Press 1 tablespoon crust mixture firmly into bottom of each lined cup. Bake until set, about 5 minutes. Transfer tins to a wire rack to cool.

2. For the cheesecake, beat the cream cheese in an electric mixture until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating on low speed, scraping down the bowl between additions. Add vanilla and sugar until well combined. Gently fold in the reserved 2 cups of brownie chunks.

3. Spoon 3 tablespoons filling over crust in each cup.

4. Bake, rotating pans halfway through until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Cool on wire racks completely. Refrigerate (in tins) at least 4 hours (or out of tins up to 5 days in airtight containers). Remove from tins just before serving.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

I don't have too much to say about these cupcakes because the name says it all! These scrumptious tasting and looking cupcakes are my most favorite looking cupcakes I have made yet. The mini chocolate chips and the mini chocolate chip cookie were the perfect little toppers!

First, you have a moist and fluffy white cake that is studded

with mini chocolate chips and filled with.........

a center of chocolate chip cookie dough that is soft, chewy, and

chocolately and it doesn't turn into a cookie but stays slightly

gooey. And then the cupcake gets topped off with............

a fluffy and light chocolate buttercream that just melts in your mouth!

These cupcakes are pure bliss! If you love cake and chocolate and

cookie dough then you should give these a try!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes with a Chocolate Buttercream: From Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor (adapted by me)

Makes 22 to 24 cupcakes

What you will need:

-24 paper liners for cupcake pans

-1 package (18.25 ounces) white cake mix

-1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix

-1 cup milk

-1 cup vegetable oil

-4 large eggs

-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

-1 package (30 ounces) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough log

-1 1/4 cups mini chocolate chips

-Chocolate Buttercream (recipe below)

Ahead of Time Preparation: Use 18 ounces of cookie dough from the 30 ounce package of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough and make 24 even sized cookie dough balls. Freeze for at least one hour or overnight. *It's important to use frozen dough, because you don't want it to bake completely and become a cookie. You want the center to be gooey when you bite into it.*

Use the rest of the dough to make mini chocolate chip cookies for the cupcake topper. Roll the dough into 24 tiny balls and bake at 350 for about 5 minutes. (You may have some leftover dough.) ( I did all of this the night before to make it easier for the next day when I was preparing the cupcakes!)

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners and spray the top of the pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set the pans aside.

2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. Fold in 1 cup of mini chocolate chips (reserve the other 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top). Spoon or scoop a 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full.

Place a frozen cookie dough piece on top of each cupcake. Place the pans in the oven.

3. Bake the cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 15 minutes and then remove from pans and cool completely before frosting. 

4. Meanwhile, prepare the Chocolate Buttercream.

5. Frost as desired and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and top with one mini cookie.

Chocolate Buttercream:

-8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

-3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

-3-5 tablespoons milk

-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Place the butter and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture is soft and well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and the vanilla. Blend with the mixer on low speed until sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons more milk if the frosting is too stiff.

Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cookies

These chocolate peppermint cookies were a big hit, everyone just loved them! I saw a recipe for Brrrr-ownies here at Pastry Heaven that looked to die for! They were a Dorie Greenspan brownie recipe with chunks of York Peppermint Patty's running throughout them. I was originally going to make the brownies but I didn't have all of the ingredients so I thought I would make these chocolate cookies that I love and add the patty's to it. I really like these cookies because they are very reminiscent to brownies and brownies are my favorite. These are a mix between a brownie and a cookie. They are really moist, fudgey and soft and the york peppermint patty's melt into the cookie and make them slightly gooey and the cool peppermint patty chunks go so well with the chocolate cookie. Yummy!

Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cookies:

-1/2 cup vegetable oil

-4 squares unsweetened chocolate melted, or 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

-2 cups granulated sugar

-4 eggs

-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-2 cups flour

-2 teaspoons baking powder

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-10 mini york peppermint pattys, chopped

With an electric mixer or a stand mixer, mix oil, chocolate, and sugar together until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time until well blended. Add vanilla. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt into oil mixture. Stir in chopped peppermint pattys. Chill several hours. Bake at 350 degrees F, for 8-10 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Candy Bites

This is just a simple little bite-sized dessert I made to use up some leftover chocolate chip cookie dough! I made chocolate chip cookies a couple times this last week and decided that I wanted something a little different....so I searched through all of my baking goodies and found a few mini Reesee's peanut butter cups, some M&M's and Nutella and thought that all of those would taste really yummy inside a mini chocolate chip cookie bite! They turned out super cute and were really yummy and so easy to just pop a few into your mouth!

Colorful and crunchy M&M studded!

Creamy, dreamy, chocolately and smooth nutella filled! (My favorite!)

Peanut butter and chocolate goes so well together....Reesee's Peanut Butter Cup filled!

ChOcOlAte ChiP CooKiE CanDy BiTeS:

What you will need:

-1 recipe of your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough

-A variety of mini candies (I used mini Reesee's Peanut Butter Cups and M&m's)

-Nutella

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray mini muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Fill each muffin tin with 2 teaspoons of cookie dough and press the dough down evenly.

3. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly golden.

4. Remove from oven and press one mini candy or a few M&m's into each mini cookie. If filling with nutella, make a small indent in the dough with your finger and fill with about a teaspoon of nutella.

Raspberry Cake

There is something truly special about the feeling I get from baking desserts and goodies for family, friends and loved ones, whether they be elegant, rich and decadant, or simple and sweet. I just love being able to express myself through my baking and I love baking goodies for others to say thank-you, to let them know how I much I appreciate them, to let them know I care, and even for a just because! It is just very relaxing for me to be in the kitchen creaming butter and sugar together, or mixing flour and leaveners together, and adding special touches to everything sweet.

I made this raspberry cake for my mom and sister to take to Detroit while they were visiting friends and they called me after they ate it to thank me and tell me how wonderful and delicious it was!

This raspberry cake recipe comes from an Amish and Mennonite cookbook that my mom has and there are so may different recipes in it that I can't wait to try out! It is filled with savory dishes, cookies, cakes, pies, brownies, jams and much, much more! This cake is dense and very reminiscent to a coffee cake and you can add any kind of berry you like and it would be delicious. You can serve it as a dessert with ice cream or you can have it with breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea. The cake is thick, super moist and filled with beautiful and bright tart raspberries and it has a sweet and sugary golden crunchy topping and some of the topping mixture melts into the top of the cake perfectly.

Raspberry Cake: (From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens)

Makes 9-12 servings

-3/4 cup sugar

-1/4 cup vegetable oil

-1 egg

-1/2 cup milk

-2 cups flour

-2 tsp. baking powder

-1/2 tsp. salt

-2 cups raspberries, well drained

1. Cream together the sugar, oil, and egg until lemon-colored. Stir in milk, thoroughly.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir into creamed mixture.

3. Gently fold in the blueberries.

4. Spread batter into a greased and floured 9-inch x 9-inch square pan or a 9-inch round springform pan. Sprinkle with topping. Bake 45-50 minutes at 375 degrees F. Serve warm.

Topping:

-1/4 cup butter or margarine

-1/2 cup granulated sugar

-1/3 cup flour

-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1. Melt butter. Stir in sugar, flour, and cinnamon.

2. Crumble over cake batter.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These truly are the best chocolate chip cookies that I have made yet! They are from Cook's Illustrated and are very popular all over the internet and on other blogs. If you like your chocolate chip cookies to resemble and taste like those scrumptious high-quality bakery cookies you see and taste, then these are definetly the ones to try! They are everything the title says they are; very big, soft and super chewy in the center and studded with lots of yummy chocolate chips. They are delicious and look and taste absolutely perfect! One of my dad's co-workers said they were the best chocolate chip cookies he has ever had.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies: (Cook's Illustrated)

-2 1/8 cup all-purpose flour

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1/2 teaspoon baking soda

-12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled

-1 cup brown sugar

-1/2 cup granulated sugar

-1 large egg

-1 large egg yolk

-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-1-2 cups chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper-and-lower-middle posistions. Mix flour, salt, baking soda together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

2. Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix just until combined. Stir in chips.

3. Form 1/4 cup dough into ball (or use a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop, which works perfect) and bake, reversing cookie sheets' posistions halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 15-18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes). Coo cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container. 

***They have intricate instructions for forming the dough before you bake them.....I have tried making the cookies both ways, with a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop and with their instructions and they seem to come out the same but, if you want to try forming them here are the directions!***

Form 1/4 cup dough into ball. Holding dough using fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves. Rotate halves ninety degrees and, with jagged surfaces exposed, join halves together at their base, again forming a single cookie. being careful not to smooth dough's uneven surface. Bake as directed above.