Power Restored: A Return to Normalcy

Hello friends,

It has been roughly a week since Hurricane Sandy tore through the Northeast, and it took until this past Sunday for my apartment to regain power. My heart goes out to all those affected and still struggling through the aftermath. My thoughts and prayers are with you and I hope you stay safe and warm.

I have to say though, that as devastating as the storm was, it showed me how people can come together as a community to help one another in times of crisis. First, a manager at a local Stop and Shop allowed me to charge my phone so that I could call my parents and let them know I was okay. I know that doesn't sound like much, but it meant everything to me to let my family know I was safe.

Then, after attempting to hold out at my apartment for three days without power, my boyfriend and I drove back to his parents' house in North Jersey. We showed up to a house full of candles, a warm wood-burning stove, and a hot meal. Neighbors were invited over to warm up, have a bite to eat, and even get in on a surprisingly relaxing game of charades.

So thank you, to everyone who helped me and my loved ones during this past week. You all made me feel loved and it meant the world to me.

Getting the apartment back into a normal state is still taking some time though, so the most I can do is show you the super cool candy corn cookies I made before the storm and then couldn't share with you after losing power (grumble):

and then share this recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bread, which also managed to get baked before the storm, and helped me and my boyfriend through many a cold, dreary morning with nothing else to eat.

Hopefully I will be back later this week with a fresh batch of warm, homemade goodies to share with you all.

Wishing everyone the best,

Jess

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bread  
Via HowSweetEats

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup chocolate chunks/chips



1. Preheat oven to 375 and grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
2. Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. Stir in half of the flour mixture, then add the buttermilk. Stir until just combined. Add in rest of flour mixture and stir until well incorporated, being sure to scrap down the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

What You've Been Missing on "Feast with Me"

Hello friends!

I have some lovely Halloween recipes to share with you later this week, but being that it was my birthday yesterday (woo) and I've had midterms, I must postpone those posts just a smidge while I play catch up.

But I can't just leave you hanging!

I love you all too much for that. So today I'm going to share with you some revelations I've had while starting up my second blog, Feast with Me.

1. I can cook! So far I've made the following awesomely appetizing meals:

Chicken Tamale Pie

Skillet Gnocchi with Asparagus and Shrimp

Chicken Pad Thai

Tomato and Crab Fettuccine (my favorite so far)

and more!

2. Food is ALL OVER literature. Seriously. Even in literature you didn't think had anything to do with food. But it makes sense, since everyone has to eat at some point; Sylvia Plath, William Carlos Williams, even Washington Irving all have some serious appetites.

3. Tagging posts with "food porn" gets you a lot of traffic. Not sure if I love or hate this revelation. At any rate, it's intriguing; and I love any excuse to post about Epic Meal Time or the food love that has been deemed food porn.

If you have a moment, please check out Feast with Me and if you love it, please follow! Part of my independent study involves getting to 200 followers soooo....please help!

Crowd-sourcing = awesome so share it with your friends! Thanks in advance. :D

I'll be back Thursday with some spooky Scream Cheese Brownies; until then

Happy Baking!

Apple Cider Muffins

Hello friends!

So in my blogging class we were given an assignment to utilize a random image from a creative commons generator in our post. I must admit I was a little freaked out by this. If any of you have ever been on Flickr's Creative Commons, the first few photos are generally random people in random places that have nothing to do with anything I talk about here on the blog.

photo by USDAgov

How relieved was I that I stumbled onto this photo, totally within the "do not refresh the page over five times" requirement of the assignment?

Ah, crisis averted.

Because I have a wonderfully simple Autumn recipe for you today! So you can munch on these delicious apple cider muffins while sitting on a blanket under trees like these, breathing in the fresh fall air and savoring every bite of chewy muffin goodness.

Simple recipes are where it's at this season. Of course, I love spending tons of time in my kitchen for obvious reasons, but I could always use more "jumping in leaf piles" time so to speak. Don't appreciate the beautiful weather from a window! Go out and experience it!

Have a Happy Autumn Picnic even!

And volunteer to bring dessert: in the form of these muffins. You'll thank me later; I promise.

Happy Baking everyone!

Apple Cider Muffins Via ItBakesMeHappy

2 cups flour
4 packets Apple Spice Cider Mix
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 375 and grease/line muffin pan(s).
2. Whisk together flour, cider mix, both sugars, baking powder and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, applesauce, milk and water.
4. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir with big wooden spoon until just moistened. Do not overmix.
5. Pour 1/4 cup batter into each cavity of muffin pan.
6. Bake at 375 for 12-16 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack.

Apple Cider Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbsp apple cider, room temp

1. Whisk sugar and cider together until glaze forms. If too thick, add a little more cider. If too runny, add a little more powdered sugar. Drizzle over muffins.

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Hello friends,

So woah did it get chilly. Like really chilly.

Like oh-my-god-how-is-it-only-35-degrees chilly. Talk about waking me up this morning. All I had to do was step outside and I was bright eyed and shivering my butt all the way to work.

But I have a way to remedy this.

Yes, I may have an issue with turning to desserts when I'm stressed but in case you didn't already know...

STRESSED is just DESSERTS spelled backwards.

So...I didn't come up with the idea. Blame Fate.

Or thank her really for directing me to these Caramel Stuffed Cider Cookies.

Also, last week I told McCormick to stuff it because I learned how to make Homemade Apple and Pumpkin Pie Spices.

This week: Starbucks gets to stuff it. Because I now have a Caramel Apple Spice, in cookie form.

Delicious, warm, chewy, portable, and way cheaper than that $4 cup of cider I always feel guilty buying.

A few hints or helpful thoughts for this recipe: chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before trying to wrap it around the caramels. It is seriously too sticky when you first make it.

Also: do NOT lick you fingers or you will pucker in sad regret.

One last note: some of your cookies may "bleed" caramel (ew) so I would suggest letting them sit on just the parchment paper (slide it off the pan) for a few minutes until the caramel cools.

But oh man, it's like, if there was ever a Caramel Apple Cider Twix Bar....

Dude. Twix: Get on that. Right now. Oreos already upped the ante with those crazy Candy Corn Oreos.

Or I will just have to create it myself :O

Happy Baking and Stay Cozy!

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies  
Via SixSistersStuff

1 cup butter, almost melted
1 cup sugar
1 whole box (10 packets) Alpine Spice Cider Mix
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 cups flour
1 bag Kraft Caramels

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl beat butter, sugar and all the Cider Mix packets until well incorporated and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and salt.
3. Beat in baking soda and baking powder, then mix in flour until dough comes together. Let dough firm up in fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Scoop out heaping tablespoonfuls of dough and use your thumb to create an indent in the center. Quickly place caramel in the center and roll dough over it, covering the candy completely. Place each 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet
5. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Let cool on parchment paper for 5 minutes before twisting and then removing to wire rack.

Makes 16-18 large cookies

Hello October! Fall Recipes and DIY Spices

Happy October Everyone!

I still can't believe it's here. Finally I have an excuse to whip up insane amounts of recipes filled with apples, pumpkins, cider and the like.

And you know what else I learned? You can make your own Pumpkin Pie Spice and Apple Pie Spice.

Take that McCormick. :P

I was perusing my Google Reader and saw Beth at Budget Bytes do a DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice, and it inspired me to share with you all a list of Fabulous Fall links for Awesomely Autumn recipes (I have mentioned I love alliterations, right?)

Amazing Apple Recipes:

Apple Cider Muffins
Apple Cider Smoothie
Apple Crumble Pie
Apple Pie Muffins
Apple Pie Oatmeal
Classic Apple Cider Doughnuts
Caramel Apple Coffee Cake
Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Perfectly Pumpkin Recipes:

Black Bottom Maple Pumpkin Pie
Brown Butter Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats
Chai Pumpkin Spice Thumbprint Cookies
DIY Pumpkin Spice Body Scrub 
Pumpkin Fudge
Pumpkin Pie Bars
Pumpkin Pie Granola
Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

DIY Spices

Pumpkin Pie Spice
Apple Pie Spice

There's more where that came from, but then what would I share with you on the blog for the rest of the month? A homemade, from scratch, delicious month of October awaits you.

Pull up a chair and stay awhile; things are going to get cozy.

Happy Baking!

~Jess

Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies

Friends!

I have big news!!

I met someone who knew me from my blog!!

He came to baking club last Friday and after introducing himself, said to me "Hey, you're that girl who writes On Sugar Mountain right?"

I almost died of excitement right there. I thought perhaps someone had mentioned to him that I blog, but then my VP told me he had been in the back baking cupcakes and talking about my Red Lobster Biscuits and had no idea I was the head of the club.

Life is good.

So I believe it's time to celebrate, and I see no other way than to whip up these comforting Chai Spiced Cookies and scarfing down as many of them as possible, with or without a Chai Tea Latte.

Whether you've had a bad day and need a pick me up OR have had a great day and believe you deserve something awesome (which you totally do, good day or bad day) these cookies will definitely hit the spot.

I have to admit I was a little concerned about adding black pepper to the range of spices, but the cookies come out wonderfully warm and spicy without any trace of just "pepper" flavor.

Other than pepper you've got ground ginger, allspice, and once again my vietnamese cinnamon. I can never find cardamom so I just threw in equal parts of the other spices to make up for it and no harm done.

I loved how this recipe incorporates the spices into the cookies. Instead of just rolling the cookies in a sugar spice mixture, you first mix all of the spices and all of the sugar for the recipe in one bowl, and reserve a smidge for rolling, and then beat the rest of the sugary spicy mixture with the butter. I find that it really incorporated the flavors into every bite of the cookie.

Mmmmm cookies.

These cookies are best eaten the day of when they are still pillowy soft and warm from the oven, but if you keep them in a tupperware they will stay for a few days.

You know, in case you aren't like me and can't eat dozens of cookies in one day.

I hope you are all have fantastic weeks as well! If not, spend some time in the kitchen with these Chai Cookies. You can use your hands to mix the dough, and I find kneading cookie dough to be one of the best stress relievers out there.

Right after eating said cookie dough instead of baking it.



Happy Baking!

Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies Via MyBakingAddiction

1 3/4 cups white sugar
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cardamom (or just more of the other spices if you can't find it)
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl whisk together sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice and black pepper until evenly incorporated. Reserve 1/4 cup of this mixture in a small bowl for rolling the cookies.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
4. Cream butter and sugar-spice mixture until light and fluffy, then beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, mixing until well incorporated. (use clean hands if necessary!)
5. Scoop out about 2 tsp of dough, roll into ball, and roll in reserved sugar-spice mixture. Place on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1/12 inches between cookies for spreading
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. They will look undercooked - take them out anyway and let them cool for 2 minutes on the sheet before removing to wire rack.

Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt

Hello friends!

With being back at school, work, running two blogs and the baking club, I find myself more and more intrigued by simply prepared yet superbly delicious recipes. Though this could be in part due to the Brownie Banana Bread Cupcake Blunder of last week (I have mentioned I have a fragile ego have I not?).

So today I am happy to share with you this gem of a recipe from CookinCanuck for Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt.

Fudge is one of those wonderful treats that sounds like it's too much work when in reality you can have the whole batch done and in the fridge in less than twenty minutes. It's a crowd-pleaser every time and you get the satisfaction of hearing everyone go "mmmm" while mentally patting yourself on the back for a job well done with minimal effort and time.

First trick though that is crucial to successful, stress-free fudge: lining your pan with parchment paper. The key is to have the paper longer than the pan, so that after you pour the fudge in and let it cool, you can easily grab the excess paper to lift the fudge out of the pan in one piece.

One of the best bits of knowledge ever that I picked up while roaming through fudge recipes online.

And here's your main lineup for the fudge. Note that I don't have the actual "Nutella-brand" Nutella. The ShopRite brand tastes exactly like it and is half the price. College Savings FTW. Now take these plus a tad bit of butter...

and melt 'em all down in a big pot. Technically you should use a double boiler system, but that would take away the whole minimal-effort deal I am trying to achieve here. If you have a double boiler, then super. If not, no worries.

Keep the heat low and stir the mixture constantly so that the chocolate doesn't burn. It doesn't take very long for everything to melt anyway, so if you keep it low and slow, you should be good. I did it this way and my fudge came out fabulous.

Once you pour it into your pan, wait a minute or two before sprinkling on your sea salt. I found that some of it melts if you apply it too soon, and though it still tastes great, it won't look quite as neat if all your salt melts into the chocolate.

Then into the fridge it goes for 2-3 hours, or overnight if you are want to do this the night before a party or event.

See? Parchment paper is a god-send in these situations. I like clean, straight edges on my fudge (I'm a little type-A I know) and it makes it so much easier to cut when you haven't spent the last half hour fighting to get it out of the pan.

Yum! How pretty are these? Simple, Sweet, Satisfying.

There are so many good fudge recipes out there too so don't shy away if you're not a fan of sea salt or Nutella. For some inspiration check out my Pinterest Board on Fudge, Brownies and Bars.

That's all for now my friends. I hope you are all having a wonderful week and, as always,

Happy Baking!

Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt Via CookinCanuck

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz dark chocolate (I used milk chocolate chips)
1 cup Nutella
3 tbsp butter, softened, cut into slices

sea salt, for sprinkling

1. Spray a 8x8 in pan with cooking spray, and then line the pan with parchemnt paper, being sure to leave extra hanging off the pan (to pull the fudge out later)
2. Combine all ingredients except sea salt in a deep-rimmed pan set over low/medium heat. Heat until everything melts, stirring constantly, and consistency is smooth. Remove from heat.
3. Pour into prepared pan and smooth top with spatula. Wait a minute or two and then sprinkle sea salt (as much as you like) over the top of the fudge, pressing down slightly if needed to secure the salt.
4. Place in fridge for 2-3 hours or until firm, or overnight.
5. Remove fudge from pan by grabbing parchment paper and lifting gently. Using a long sharp knife, cut fudge into small squares. Keep in airtight container in fridge.

Homemade Red Lobster Biscuits

Hello friends!

I know; it's been so long. I apologize but it's been a bit hectic here and I've succumbed to some laziness when it comes to the kitchen. But this will have been worth the wait; I promise. I bring you a recipe I've discovered online, for the Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits that I know you all crave the way I do every time you see their commercials.

Yes, my friends, they can be made at home with a whopping 5 ingredients and under 30 minutes. We must share this news with the world!

Here's your major cast of characters: Bisquick, cheddar cheese, and garlic powder. Mix these together with some milk and that's it on the biscuit end of the equation. The simplicity is absolutely mind-blowing; how did we never discover this sooner?

Into a 400 degree oven they go for about 10 minutes, and while they do you whip up a magical concoction of melted butter, oregano, and garlic salt. Take the biscuits out....

brush with butter mixture, then back in the oven they go for another 5-6 minutes.

And that's it.

Yes. Really. That's it.

Oh, and ready for this? Not only do they taste just like Red Lobster's infamous biscuits, because they are made with Bisquick this recipe can be converted into a GLUTEN FREE CHEDDAR BAY BISCUIT. No longer do those with the dreaded allergy have to sacrifice the taste of these biscuits. Just pick up the gf bisquick mix, and keep everything else the same. It's that simple, that wonderful, and that delicious.

These are my last two weeks with the family so I will admit posts will be fewer and far between for awhile. Once September rolls around though and I'm back at Rutgers I'll be sharing sweet treats with everyone I meet and I'll be sure to share them here, as always, with you. :)

Happy Baking!

Homemade Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits Via JoyfulAbode 

2 cups Bisquick Mix
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2/3 cup milk

2 tbsp melted butter
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease one baking sheet with cooking spray
2. Stir together bisquick, cheese, and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Stir in milk, using hands if necessary. Mixture will be very thick and sticky. This is okay.
3. Drop large dollops of batter onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven.
4. While biscuits are baking, stir together melted butter, oregano and garlic salt. Remove biscuits from oven, brush with butter mixture, then return to oven for another 5-6 minutes or until golden brown.

My 100th Blog Post & Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Hello friends!

I still can't quite wrap my head around the idea that this is my 100th post on OnSugarMountain. It's been a little over a year since I started this baking blog, and it's taught me so much.

Some quick tidbits I've learned about baking:

1. Cupcakes are not always easy. Do not look down upon a cupcake. They can be quite awesome and take more work than you might imagine. See Banana Split Cupcakes & Homemade Hostess Cupcakes

2. Stuffing anything with nutella is an AWESOME idea and we should all try to do it as often as we can. See Nutella Stuffed Sugar Cookies & Nutella Stuffed Cupcakes

3 .Muffins are NOT just ugly cupcakes. Muffins can be sweet little mouthfuls of heaven without any frosting. See Strawberries & Cream Muffins

4. Eggless Cookie dough exists, can be eaten without getting sick, and is freaking fantastic. See Cookie Dough Topped Brownies

5. Baking can bring people together in ways that nothing else can. We can make friends, stuff our faces, and do it all while helping out those less fortunate than us.

On a larger scale and with the risk of sounding philosophical, this blog and all the adventures that accompany it led me to learn a great deal about myself. I know I said this blog was to document my adventures in baking until I opened up a bakery of my own, but I've realized something; the part I love the most about baking, eating, food, all of it, is the experience, and I could never turn it into a job that I'll eventually resent. Seeing people's faces light up when I bring in brownies to work, or hearing a collective "mmmm" as everyone takes a bite, I know I've brightened up their day, if only for a moment. I love that.

I love it so much that turning into something I will stress about is not an option. I could never risk turning baking into an activity I look at with exhausted eyes and think "I so do not want to bake today." Food, for me, will always be about the experience, about enjoying every single morsel of a meal and most importantly, sharing it with friends and family.

So opening my own bakery may not happen, but that doesn't mean I can't change the way we all have come to see food. How can I do this you ask? By doing exactly what I am doing right now. Blogging. Writing. Sharing. Doing. Food is such an intrical part of our lives but we've let it fall to the wayside in lieu of other "more important" things to stress about, such as our jobs, the economy etc etc. OR we stress about food too much and jump on every dietary bandwagon that rears its ugly head.

I want to remedy this. I want people to experience the love that can come from food. Our lives, now more than ever before, need balance. What better way to balance the stresses of our everyday lives than relaxing to come together around a table?

And so, drumroll please....

I'm starting a new blog this September!

On Sugar Mountain will still be up and running twice a week, but I hope that you will will come check out my new blog, The Foodie Files, where I hope to show people just how important food is to each and every one of us.

Phew. Lots of sharing going on in this post. Now it's finally time for the food!


Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cupcakes. Make them. You'll love them. I promise. It's like a chewy oatmeal cookie, riddled with chocolate chips, baked into tiny cakes then covered with a mind-blowing cinnamon sugar frosting. Give one of these to a new acquaintance and I'm betting you two will be bffls in no time.

Lastly, I want to thank each and every one of you who read my blog. It makes my day to see comments posted about what I bake or a new follower pop up on my Dashboard. I've met wonderful people in creating this blog and I hope to meet so many more.

Until next time,

Happy Baking!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Via HowSweetEats

3/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1 egg
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup oats
1 1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips tossed in a sprinkle of flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line one 12-cup muffin pan with liners.
2. Beat egg and sugar until smooth, then beat in melted butter and vanilla.
3. Add oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt to egg mixture and stir until incorporated. Stir in milk then fold in chocolate chips.
4. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into cups then bake at 350 for 16-18 minutes or until tops spring back lightly when touched. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Cinnamon Sugar Chip Frosting

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp vanilla
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1 tbsp milk (optional)

1. Beat butter until light and creamy, then slowly beat in powdered sugar.
2. Add brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Add milk if frosting is too thick.
3. Fold in chocolate chips.