Montana - Montana Whoppers

I  haven't been able to find the exact origin of this recipe, or why the state of Montana is the lucky state that's name is linked to this delicious cookie but my guess is that Montana is rugged, hearty, and beautiful - and so are these cookies! 

Montana Whoppers are packed with rolled oats, peanut butter and three types of chocolate - a guaranteed crowd pleaser. 

When you make these, don't even think about trying to make dainty little one or two bite cookies - get out a big ice cream scoop and make sure the size of your cookies lives up to the name.  I used a yellow handle # 20 scoop and it worked great.  

Here are the simple ingredients...

ingredients

2/3 cup butter

1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups chunky peanut butter

3 eggs, beaten

5 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

6 ounces M&M minis

recipe

• Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat.  Once the butter has melted, pour it into the largest bowl you can find.
• With a large wooden spoon, blend in the brown sugar, sugar and peanut butter.  Allow the mixture to cool slightly and then add the beaten eggs.  Stir until the batter is just mixed.
• Stir in the baking soda, the white chocolate chips, the milk chocolate chips and the mini M&M's.
• Add the oats, one cup at a time, stirring after each addition.  Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Drop dough on parchment-lined baking sheets with a large spoon (or large ice cream scoop) making sure the dough is fairly well packed.  Flatten slightly.
• Bake for 10 - 12 minutes (longer if using a large scoop) or until lightly golden brown.  Do not over bake.  

Did you notice what ingredient is missing from these whoppers?  

Flour... so, these are not only amazingly tasty, they are also gluten free!  Bake a batch of these before your next outdoor adventure for some great energy and to channel a little bit of Big Sky Country! 

Enjoy!

mbf

Missouri - Gooey Butter Cake (Old St. Louis Bakery Style)

You may be familiar with Gooey Butter Cake, but probably the newer, convenience recipe that uses a cake mix, cream cheese and confectioners sugar.  Well this, is the real deal -the original - Old St. Louis Bakery Style Gooey Butter Cake. 

There are several legends of how the Gooey Butter Cake came about, but long story short - somebody goofed!  The baker was trying to make a traditional cake batter and accidentally reversed the amounts of sugar and flour.  What resulted was a confection with a cake like bottom layer, and a gooey, buttery top layer.  

This goof, turned into a delicious surprise and the people of St. Louis and Missouri have embraced it since the 1930's.  

While there are plenty of recipes for "quick" Gooey Butter Cake,  I wanted to make the authentic version and was pleased to find this recipe on St. Louis Today (www.stltoday.com). 

for the sweet dough...

ingredients

1/4 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 Tablespoons granulated sugar 

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

recipe

• Heat 1/4 cup milk until barely lukewarm, about 100 degrees.  Put milk in a small bowl; sprinkle yeast evenly over milk.  Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir to dissolve.  Set aside. 
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat 6 Tablespoons butter, 3 Tablespoons sugar and 3/4 teaspoon salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add 1 egg and beat until incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes.  Scrape down the bowl. 
• Add flour in three additions and the milk mixture in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour.  Be sure to scrape the bowl of the milk mixture so that all yeast transfers to the dough.  After each addition, beat on the slowest speed to combine, scraping the bowl occasionally.  After the final portion of flour has been incorporated, increase the speed to medium-low and beat for 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and slightly elastic.
• Butter two 8 inch square pans or two 9 inch round pans; and press and stretch the dough into the pans.  (If the dough resists stretching, covering the pan and allowing the dough to rest for 15 minutes or so should help.)  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 2 hours. 

for the filling...

ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature

1 cup cake flour

powdered sugar, for dusting 

recipe

• Shortly before the dough is done rising, combine 3/4 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and corn syrup in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on medium speed until light, about 3 minutes. 
• Scrape down the bowl; add the vanilla extract and 1 egg.  Beat until combined, then beat in the remaining egg.  Add 1/4 cup milk and cake flour and mix to combine on low speed.  Scrape down the bowl and give the mixture a final stir. 
• When the dough is done rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cover the dough with dollops of filling, dividing evenly between cakes.  Spread filling almost to the edges.  Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until topping is crisp and golden brown.  (Topping will melt and spread as it bakes.)
• Let cakes cool in the pans on a rack.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before cutting and serving. 

You can not imagine how divine this cake is!  You will be sooooooo glad this recipe makes 2 cakes - that way, you can share one and hide the other one just for you!  

I can't wait to find a reason to make Gooey Butter Cake again!  

Enjoy!

mbf

Mississippi - Mississippi Mud

M - I - crooked letter - crooked letter - I - crooked letter - crooked letter - I - humpback - humpback - I.


Who knows what that spells?  I used to love hearing Mississippi spelled that way when I was growing up.  Anyway, Mississippi's signature sweet is... Mississippi Mud.  Some people make it as a pie, but most people make it as a cake.  


This uber-rich sweet gets it's name because it resembles the muddy banks of the Mississippi River.  


For this southern classic, I used Southern Living's recipe. 


for the cake...

Ingredients
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 (10.5 ounce) bag miniature marshmallows 


for the Chocolate Frosting...

Ingredients
16 ounces (1 box) confectioners sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa 


* mix all ingredients together until smooth 


Recipe

• whisk together melted butter and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl
• stir in flour and chopped pecans
• pour batter into a greased and floured 15 x 10 inch jellyroll pan
• bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean
• remove from oven; top warm cake evenly with marshmallows
• return to oven, and bake 5 minutes
• spread Chocolate Frosting over warm cake, cool completely

Pour yourself a big glass of milk with this one!!!! Yum!

Enjoy,

mbf