Contrary to what my long hiatus from blogging might suggest, I am, in fact, still alive, baking and well! I've been in DC since May 16th interning in the area, but when I made the trek up here I didn't bring any of my baking supplies (what was I thinking?). Thankfully, I have now sufficiently frightened my roommate by lugging up far more chocolate chips, pans and types of cocoa powder than anyone should ever need. I don't think she knew what she was getting herself into when I asked if I could bring up some bakeware.

Anywho, this post isn't like my other posts. This post is announcing/showcasing my entry into my first baking contest ever!

These little sandwiches of deliciousness are my entry for North Carolina into the Better Homes and Gardens State Cookie Contest. The second I was asked to participate in this contest I came up with about a million different ideas of what I would make. Then I hit the problem: just because something is one of my favorite ingredients, or even a southern ingredient, does not mean it has any relation to North Carolina. We have some darn good food in North Carolina, but thinking of a dessert that was in cookie form was quite a challenge. It's probably just because I love both North Carolina and desserts so much that I'd hate to do either of them injustice.

Well, I finally arrived at the decision that I would have to make a pie in cookie form. After a bit of googling I found the Neely's recipe for sweet potato pie cookies. Apparently (according to my brother-in-law who, unlike me, actually has culinary training), North Carolina produces about 90 percent of US sweet potatoes. Who knew?! So with a few changes of my own I made sweet potato pie sandwich cookies with a maple cinnamon marshmallow filling and a cinnamon glaze on top. That's a mouthful. 

Any southerner knows that the key to the perfect sweet potato casserole is a marshmallow topping, hence why I had to add that on my pie-cookies. The frosting on top has shortening in it, and something about shortening screams "southern"...maybe because we're the only ones still using it. I ended up a little pressed for time with these (read: ran to the Watergate Safeway at 5:45am to buy JetPuffed to sandwich the cookies before work), but they turned out delicious. Unfortunately it was raining for the pictures, but I like to think it was sunny in NC on the day I made them.

BHG sent me a pan for the baking (another plus for a broke college student), and let me tell you, I don't think I've ever baked with something that was so nonstick. Literally, right out of the oven these cookies could've slid from one side to the other. Goodbye parchment paper. So there we go, that is my honest to goodness endorsement, and trust me, I wouldn't give that if I didn't like it.

To close this LONG post I will ask that if you have a second, please vote for North Carolina in the cookie contest---even if you're not from NC, don't have any connection to the state, or just don't particularly like us, it would mean a lot to me to get any votes you're willing to dish out!

www.facebook.com/bhglivebetter and then go to State Cookie Contest and North Carolina.

Thanks and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Pie Cookies

Recipe adapted from Down Home with the Neelys

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes *
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 tablespoon butter melted
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

*To make mashed sweet potatoes, wrap sweet potatoes in foil and place them in an oven heated to 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven, peel off skin (it should slip right off), and put in food processor with the 1 tablespoon maple syrup. You'll only need 2 or 3 sweet potatoes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and adjust racks to the middle position. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. in the meantime mix the pecans with the melted butter and brown sugar and toast until glaze begins to set on pecans.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt.

Using a hand held mixer (I used my stand) cream together the butter, granulated sugar and the brown sugar until light and fluffy and the volume has increased. Add the egg and the vanilla and mix until incorporated. Stir in the sweet potato puree and blend until smooth. Beat in the dry ingredients in increments and combine well. Stir in the pecans.

Drop in small mounds onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie. Bake until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges and they spring back from the touch, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely on the cookie sheets

Maple Cinnamon Marshmallow Frosting

Recipe adapted from Sprinkle Bakes

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 7-ounce jar marshmallow fluff

1 1/2 teaspoons maple extract

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add marshmallow fluff, cinnamon and maple extract; beat until blended and smooth. 

Cinnamon Frosting

Recipe adapted from Group Recipes 

1/4 cup butter shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla extract  
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2-1/2 cups confectioners sugar 
3 tablespoons milk 

In a small mixing bowl, cream shortening, vanilla and cinnamon. Gradually beat in confectioners sugar. Add milk; beat until light and fluffy.

To assemble: 

Wait for cookies to cool. When cool, either pipe on a tablespoon or so of frosting or spread on with a spoon or spatula. As a side note, I don't have my piping bags with me so I used a ziplock back with the tip cut off and it worked perfectly (tried and true trick). Drizzle the icing over the top of the assembled cookies with either a piping bag or spoon. The frosting may have to be slightly heated if using a spoon.

Of course it was a rainy day when I had to take the pictures!

Oh browned butter, where have you been all my life? I'm sure I've had browned butter in something before, not because I actually remember it, but because somewhere in my mind I've always known it was amazing. That knack had to come from somewhere. Or perhaps it just came from the fact that I like butter in every form.

I'm so devoted to my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe that it's hard for me to say this, but these cookies just might win. I'll move on before I have to retract that statement. The browned butter flavor really comes through and brings these cookies beyond the average chocolate chip cookie recipe. They are incredible. Sure, sometimes I want a run of the mill chocolate chip cookie. For that craving I'll turn to my normal recipe, but then there are times when I want to jazz it up a bit. These fit the bill.

I took the pictures a few days after I made them, something I am often forced to do after procrastination takes its toll. Does anyone else do that? I set out the cookies, brownies, etc. that I like the best and tell people not to eat them. Then I forget to take the pictures, and my favorite ones don't look nearly as nice as they did on day one. It's a bad habit. So, you'll just have to take my word that these taste a million times better than they photographed. Or, better yet, you can check out the mouthwatering pictures from Pixelated Crumb if you don't believe me.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe from Pixelated Crumb (adapted from Cooks Illustrated)


1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups semisweet (or bittersweet) chocolate chips or chunks
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.
Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)
Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

To say I've tried a lot of coffee cakes is an understatement. In my opinion everyone is pretty keen on their mom or grandma's coffee cake recipes. But that's not to say those recipes can't be topped or at the very least tied. It's just what we're used to.

This is the quintessential coffee cake. It's loaded with butter, and the first time I made it I was sure that I had measured incorrectly because of the enormous amount of cinnamon sugar crumble on top (I hadn't). I've made it twice now, and it's been delicious both times. I vaguely remember the last one turning out a bit prettier, but you can't win 'em all.

Ree titled this recipe "The Best Coffee Cake. Ever." It's hard for me to pick a favorite coffee cake because I have so many that I love that at a certain point all of the best ones start blending together in my mind. I probably have 10 favorites that I transition between. I'd rather not have added a coffee cake to that list that has 3 sticks of butter, but once I tried it I knew it was a keeper, butter and all.

So, here's one more coffee cake to add to the "bests" list. You can never have too many. Ree titled it "The Best Coffee Cake. Ever." - it's definitely up there with the best I've made, but the jury is still out on whether it's actually the best ever. Regardless, it's absolutely one you will want to make as soon as possible.

"The Best Coffee Cake. Ever."
Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:

• 1-½ stick Butter, Softened
• 2 cups Scant Sugar
• 3 cups Flour, Sifted
• 4 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1-¼ cup Whole Milk
• 3 whole Egg Whites, Beaten Until Stiff

FOR THE TOPPING:

• 1-½ stick Butter, Softened
• ¾ cups Flour
• 1-½ cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
• 1-½ cup Pecans, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat egg whites and set aside.
Cream butter and sugar. Add flour mixture and milk alternately until combined. Don’t overbeat. Fold in beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula. Spread in a well-greased 9 x 13 (or LARGER!) baking pan. A cake pan with higher sides would be best.
In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle all over the top.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until no longer jiggly. Serve warm—delicious!

I just love an easy recipe. Maybe that's why I keep coming back to Christie's plethora of frozen bread dough recipes over at Southern Plate. I've had my eye on these cinnamon buns for awhile now, but my infatuation with pizza bread from frozen bread dough made me more than a little wary to subject myself to a new obsession (maybe I should refrain from using words containing the word "fat" when talking about my favorite foods?). 

I've now made them twice in three days--at least I know myself well.

But, it's exam time and having food around the house is essential while studying. I don't do libraries because I get too distracted by all the studious people around me. I like to take a power nap break when I get tired, and I want to eat when I get bored (I'm a bored eater if there ever was one). Not that I can't do both of those in the library, but I'm sure I'm the type of person who would wake up sleep talking, so I'd rather not disturb the peace. I am two exams away from freedom, and then I'll be heading up to DC for the summer. Hopefully living in a dorm again won't hurt my cooking too much!  Anywho, make these. They are wonderful. 

Cinnamon Buns 

Recipe from Southern Plate

1 loaf frozen white bread dough (such as Rhode’s)

Filling:

1/4 C butter or margarine, softened

1 C brown sugar, packed

3 T ground cinnamon

Icing:

3 ounce cream cheese, softened

1/4 C butter or margarine, softened

1 1/2 C confectioner’s sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Place loaf of dough on plate and let sit at room temperature until thawed. Once thawed, roll out onto floured surface to a size of about nine inches by sixteen inches. Spread 1/4 C margarine over dough.

In small bowl mix together brown sugar and 3 T cinnamon. Sprinkle over top of cinnamon roll, stopping about 1/2 an inch away from the sides so it will seal.  Carefully roll up cinnamon roll into a log and press lightly to seal. Slice into one inch slices with serrated knife. Place in greased 9×13 inch pan and cover with cling wrap. Place in warm spot and allow to rise until doubled in size. Remove cling wrap and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes, or until done.

Icing: Mix all ingredients together and beat with electric mixer until creamy. Spread over cinnamon rolls.

I tried to be creative and get more angles, but apparently creativity isn't my strong suit when I'm running on two hours of sleep. Note to self: ripping a cinnamon bun apart doesn't look nearly as appealing on camera as in person.

I'm sorry to put up two banana posts in a row, but the bananas I used for the monkey bread went a long way (..that and the fact that I never get sick of baking with bananas). I thought this chocolate banana bread was great. I always get my hopes up with chocolate banana bread because I just feel like it has such promise. It's the same as when I add chocolate chips to banana bread recipes -- how could it be anything but amazing? Alas, all banana bread recipes are not created equal. I've had many letdowns, but this one is far from a disappointment.

The oil makes it incredibly moist, and the chocolate flavor is rich, but not over the top. It also stayed good for multiple days which is always a plus in my book. Something about eating chocolate for breakfast starts my day off right. Maybe it just kicks my usual 11am chocolate craving before it happens? Regardless, this bread is the best chocolate banana bread I've ever made. I don't know which recipe is better to use up those old bananas considering I'm pretty smitten with both of my recent banana posts. I guess you'll just have to buy more bananas. It's healthy, right?

Chocolate Banana Bread        Serves 8-12
Recipe from Evil Shinanigans

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 egg yolk
3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup very strong coffee, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
Heat the oven to 350 F and prepare 1 10-inch loaf pan (or 6 mini-loaf pans) with non-stick spray.

In a medium bowl cream together the sugar and oil until smooth.  The mixture will be slightly crumbly.  Add in the eggs and egg yolk and mix until lighter in color, about three minutes.


Add the mashed banana and stir to combine.  Sift the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder into the bowl and mix until most of the dry ingredients are moist.  Stir in the coffee and vanilla and mix until all the dry ingredients are moist.  The batter will have some small lumps.


Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans and bake for 45 to 55 minutes for a single loaf, 35 to 45 for smaller loafs, or until the center springs back when gently pressed.   Cool for thirty minutes in the pan before turning out on a rack to cool completely.

These pictures aren't great, but you'll have to trust me about this bread!

I'm not sure which bothers me more--posting things that didn't turn out quite right or taking a two week break from blogging altogether because I refuse to take pictures of anything I didn't love. Pretty much any time I disappear from the blogosphere you can bet that I'm struggling with this dilemma. Thankfully today I have a recipe that was much easier than any of my unpostable (made up word) mistakes over the past few weeks, and it's delicious!

With exams right around the corner, my diet will almost certainly be composed of Coke Zero, pizza bread and sweets (why can't I eat like a normal girl?). This banana monkey bread works for breakfast, but I can also see it fitting into many other categories. Dress it up and it's dessert. It definitely works as a late night snack, and it would be a lovely addition to any brunch. This is one of those recipes you want to have around because it's just that easy. Thank you for being patient with my busy self as junior year winds down. More posts to come!

Banana Monkey Bread
Makes 4 ramekins
Recipe from Pinch of Yum

Pillsbury Grands Biscuits (4)
Bananas (2-3)
White chocolate chips
Cinnamon and sugar

Directions

1. Cut biscuits into 1-inch cubes.  Slice bananas.  Combine and coat with cinnamon and sugar.
2. Arrange in greased ramekins and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
3. Melt white chocolate; spoon over tops

*I used five biscuits because that's what came in the container (and why would I want one extra plain biscuit when I could have it covered in cinnamon sugar instead?). The bananas I had around were on the large side, so I only used two. For the white chocolate I just melted a cube of white melting chocolate, but I'd say melt about 1/4 cup if you are using chips. Lastly, I used about 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar.

Also, my ramekins are a bit thicker than some others, so I needed about 3-4 more minutes of cooking. I also realized that filling them up quite as high as I did is just a mess waiting to happen, and since none of you probably want to clean cinnamon sugar from the bottom of your oven I'd suggest putting the ramekins on a pan before baking.

Only I would decide to take pictures the same day as tornadoes are going through NC. Sorry for the dreary backdrop!

Well, I finally got around to making a cake and this one is a winner. I don't usually have time to make cakes, mainly because I'm such a perfectionist that I'll spend hours making sure the icing is just right or the layers are perfectly aligned. After making this one I am reminded of another reason: cakes are dangerously addictive (I had a piece for breakfast every day that it was around our house). But I was also reminded of what a hit they are and how they are almost always well worth the effort they take to prepare.

This cake is honestly one of the best I've had in awhile (maybe ever). The layers kept their moisture even four days later, and the flavor on day four was just as incredible as day one. While the process is a bit time consuming, there is no part of this recipe that is overly challenging. The best part about that is that the appearance is so beautiful people will assume it either a) is professionally made or b) took considerably more effort than it actually did. 

I could go on for hours, but to sum it all up I'll just say that this cake is a must-try. Everyone loved it. I loved it. I miss it already. I wish I had a piece now. Would it be excessive to make this fancy of a cake twice within a week? 

Tuxedo Cake

Recipe from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups water
1 cup canola oil
4 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

For the frosting:
4 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

For the chocolate topping:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
To make the cake layers, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line three 9-inch round cake pans (or two 10-inch round cake pans) with parchment paper.  Butter and flour the inside edges of the pan, shaking out the excess flour.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, water and canola oil; heat until the butter is melted.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, and flour; whisk to blend.  Pour the melted butter mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.  Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then whisk in the buttermilk.  Add the baking soda, salt and vanilla to the bowl and whisk just until incorporated.  Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge of each cake layer and invert onto a wire cooling rack.  Allow the cake layers to cool completely before frosting, at least 2 hours.

To make the frosting, add the heavy cream to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.  Whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.  Add the powdered sugar and continue to whip until thoroughly combined and stiff peaks form.  Be careful not to over-beat!

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cake platter and spread a layer of the whipped cream frosting over the top.  Top with a second cake layer, more frosting (and the third cake layer, if using).  Frost the top and sides of the assembled cake.  Refrigerate until the frosting has stabilized, at least 1 hour.

To make the chocolate glaze, place the chocolate in a medium bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit 1-2 minutes.  Whisk until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.  Blend in the corn syrup and vanilla.  Pour the glaze into a pitcher or measuring cup and let cool for 10 minutes.  (Do not let the glaze cool longer or it may become difficult to pour over the cake.)  Slowly pour the glaze over the cake, ensuring that the top is covered and the glaze drips over the sides.

Refrigerate the cake until the glaze is set and the whipped cream frosting is firm, at least 1 hour.  Slice with a long, sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between slices.

Once again, I have broken my camera. I really should not be allowed to have electronics. I like to say that I always get the duds, so of course they end up breaking, but truthfully, it's probably just me. I won't go into my long, unfortunate past with cameras, phones, computer issues, etc., but I honestly don't think I did anything wrong to cause this one to bite the dust. The others, maybe. I feel like every camera I get is just a "lens error" waiting to happen. Luckily, I've already solicited a few friends to loan me cameras until I save up to buy a new one. Hopefully I won't get too much more behind on posting in the meantime.

These cookies are incredibly easy to make (boxed cake mix), and I have never seen a cookie with this long of a shelf life. I used to eat them all the time when I was little, and found the recipe in a family friend's cookbook. It was originally from my grandma (if she reads this she'll be embarrassed that I'm calling a cake mix recipe an original), but somehow despite the simplicity of the recipe she still always managed to make them even better than mine turned out. I love the pecans with the yellow cake, and these are great because they are so small you can grab one or two and get your cookie fix. I'll salvage some new food pictures soon and post them as soon as I can!

Yellow Cake Oatmeal Pecan Cookies
(I have no idea what the real name is, so a descriptive name will have to do!)
Yield: 5 dozen

1 package yellow cake mix
2 cups quick cooking oats, uncooked
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine cake mix, oats and sugar in a large bowl. Combine oil and eggs. Add to dry ingredients, stirring well. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Drop dough by small rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Is it odd that until a week ago I had never heard of or tried eclair cake (yes, those two need to be separated in my book because I have an awful memory)? I thought this was some new, brilliant concept, but after sharing the cake with friends I realized almost all of them had tried some form of eclair cake in their lives.

Well, basically now I know that this cake is still brilliant, but definitely not new. It's also incredibly easy to make. I think I've said that about pretty much all of my recent posts, but this is what happens when I don't have time to bake. The good news is, my birthday is Monday and I plan on making myself a dessert that's a bit more fancy. It's my 21st, so I'd say that's deserving of something good. Any suggestions?

For the eclair cake, I chose to make homemade chocolate icing instead of using store-bought . I didn't have any store-bought laying around anyways, so I figured mixing up a batch of this was just as easy. It was delicious. The graham crackers lose all of their crunch, but keep all of their flavor. What you end up with is a creamy, dreamy eclair-tasting cake. I wish I had taken prettier pictures, but as you can imagine eclair cake isn't the most photogenic of cakes. If you can stand to keep something this good in your fridge for 24 hours without touching it, you have to put this on your to-make list!

Chocolate Eclair Cake
Recipe from Baking Junkie

1 Box graham crackers (not all will be used)
2 large boxes (5.1 oz) vanilla instant pudding
2 ½ cups skim milk
16 oz reduced fat or fat free cool whip
1 container chocolate frosting

Line the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan with graham crackers. You will need to break some up to fit the edges. In a medium sized bowl combine pudding, milk and cool whip. Spread half the pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Cover with another layer of graham crackers, the remaining pudding mixture, and top with final layer of graham crackers. Remove aluminum top of frosting and place in microwave for 45-60 seconds, until it becomes melted and thin. Pour over top of cake. Refrigerate for 12 hours before serving.


Chocolate Frosting*
1/2 stick butter
1 1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2/3 c sugar
5 oz evaporated milk
dash salt
1 t vanilla
Melt butter w/ chocolate in sauce pan – add sugar then milk and salt. Boil for 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool a bit then pour over Eclair Cake.

*If you choose to sub out the store bought variety.

I know what you're thinking: this looks nothing like a breakfast pizza. You're right. It's more like a breakfast casserole the way I made it. I felt like I couldn't justify using 12 eggs for something I was just making on a whim, so I halved the recipe and used an 8x8 pan. I posted it anyways because in hindsight I'm not sure why those extra six eggs were so precious to me. So here is my first tip for the "pizza": make the full version. It wasn't really a problem that I made it smaller, but I also halved the bacon and I immediately decided that was a poor decision. I actually wouldn't have skimped on it, but I used the majority of my bacon stash for bacon chocolate chip cookies the night before.

But as for the breakfast pizza, I love how easily it came together. I have been reheating little squares of it for snacks here and there over the past few days. I'm used to grabbing a square of brownie or a cookie (healthy, right?), but it's a nice change of pace to actually have some real food to munch on. It's also good because I'm trying to wean myself off of the pizza sticks I wrote about a few weeks ago. I kept making them over and over again, and I think I was beginning to develop a slight addiction. One last tip is that I used mostly mozzarella for these because that's what I had on hand, but I think sharp cheddar is the most flavorful so that's probably your best bet. 

I promise this will be the last post from Southern Plate for a few weeks. I just can't get enough of her recipes. Nothing fancy, no hard to find ingredients, no completely unnecessary steps that you can't figure out how on earth make that much of a difference–she's just a true home cook. I love it. I promise you'll feel the same way if you take a look around her site.

Bacon Breakfast Pizza

Recipe from Southern Plate

• 1- 8 count can crescent roll dough
• 3 cups shredded hash browns (can used cubed)
• dozen eggs
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 6 slices bacon (more or less, depending on what you have on hand)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Optional: Other toppings of your choice. Examples are: Onions, mushrooms, other meats, other vegetables, etc

Cook bacon and set aside. Spray a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray. Place crescent roll dough in the bottom of the pan, pinching seams together to seal. Spread frozen hash browns over dough. Salt and pepper to taste (I start with 1/2 tsp of each). Beat all eggs in a bowl and pour over hash browns. Sprinkle crumbled bacon over. Place in oven at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until set in center. Sprinkle cheese over top and return to oven just until melted. Serve warm.