Putting in Work

I've been promising my friend Don homemade baked goods for a while now, possibly over a year but with school and work, it was impossible to find time to put together a package and mail it out. However, I had a week off of school recently and used this opportunity to do just that. Don's a fun guy with a huge sweet tooth and so I had to make him something really special; Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch and Hazelnut Treats and Dark Chocolate & Pecan Oatmeal Cookies.

 Despite the use of marshmallows, the treats were the easiest to make while the cookies took me several tries. No matter what I did, they stuck to the baking sheet/aluminum foil/parchment paper and because they were so soft, they'd fall apart. I ended up dropping half a tablespoon of cookie dough into mini muffin liners and baking them that way. Finally, Success.

Recipes & more pictures after jump!

 Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch Hazelnut Treats    


yields about 12- 16 squares

10 oz      marshmallows
6 cups     cap'n crunch peanut butter cereal
1/2 cup   unsalted butter
13 oz      hazelnut spread (nutella)
1 pinch   sea salt

* For some reason, I made the two layers of cereal in separate batches why I think made it easier to work with.

Procedure:
In a large, deep pan (preferably a pot), melt your butter. Add your marshmallows and stir until they melt. When your marshmallows have melted, remove from heat and add cereal. Stir until well combined. Sprinkle a little sea salt and pour half onto a greased baking sheet/lined with parchment. Heat your hazelnut spread for 25-40 seconds and pour over cereal mixture. Add remaining mixture over the hazelnut layer, sprinkle sea salt over the top and wrap and chill for at least an hour in the fridge, 40 minutes in the freezer. Flip your hardened cereal onto a cutting board and with a sharp knife, cut into squares and enjoy your new cavities!

 Dark Chocolate & Pecan Oatmeal Cookies


yields 4 dozen cookies - adapted from Quaker Oats' oatmeal raisin  recipe

1/2 cup + 6 tbsp   unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup                 brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup                     granulated sugar
2                           eggs
1 tsp                     vanilla
1.5 cups               pastry flour (ap flour will work just fine)
1 tsp                     baking soda
1 tsp                     ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp                  salt (plus sea salt for topping the cookies)
1 cup                    oats
9 oz                      dark chocolate (roughly chopped two 4.5 dark chocolate bars)
1 cup                    Pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Cream your butter and sugars until...creamy. Add eggs (vanilla can be added to eggs) one at a time and beat well before each addition. Combine flour, baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt and cinnamon; add to bowl and mix well. Add your chocolate, oats and pecans and mix by hand. Chill your dough for a half hour minimum. Scoop onto baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on a rack and try not to eat them all!