I wasn't planning on making these tonight, but I wanted something sweet. I really liked the Brownie Cookies I made a couple of weeks ago, so I wanted to remix it using the strawberry cake mix I had in the pantry. I didn't think the cookies would work, so I decided to try out my new mini-muffin pan. These little cakes were too cute! And not to mention, quite tasty! I could seriously eat about one thousand. You could use whatever frosting you have on hand. If you have a tub of frosting, whip it up in your mixer first. It really fluffs it up and gives it more of a homemade texture. I only had some heavy cream in the fridge, so I whipped it up with some sugar and topped each cake with a dollop of the whipped cream. It was a nice light balance to the heavier cake. A sweet treat for my Tuesday!
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 box strawberry cake mix
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or use paper liners in a mini-muffin pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla. Add the cake mix and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Drop tablespoon size dollops into the prepared muffin pan. Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool. Top with desired frosting or eat plain!
Enjoy!
I love brownies. I love the box kind more than anything! If I make some of those on a Friday evening for a treat, I will eat the entire thing within 24 hours. I'm not kidding. I walk by and take a little bite here, take another bite there. And before I know it, I've eaten the entire pan. So, naturally these cookies looked awesome to me when I saw the recipe! It used nothing but the finest of ingredients: boxed cake mix, cream cheese and butter! What more could you ask for? Such a great snack. I can't wait to go eat another one...
1 8-oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 box moist chocolate cake mix
confectioners' sugar, for dusting
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the egg. then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm (you have to roll the batter into balls later).
Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and roll them in confectioners sugar. This is a little messy. I used my small Pampered Chef scoop to make things easier. Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes (mine took a little longer...I think my oven needs to be calibrated!). Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, if desired.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Honey and Butter)
I have come to the conclusion that if you are serving anything but true maple syrup at your house, then you are doing your entire family an injustice. I love, love, love maple syrup. Not Aunt Jemima. I'm talking about the real deal. It is SO worth the splurge in my book. I love coupons, but I will buy this thing full price. Well, not really full price. I've bought it from Sam's and Amazon. I guess I try to find a deal :) This recipe was screaming to me when I saw it in the Food Network Magazine a couple of months ago. I have another recipe for Blondies with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts that I made a few months ago. It is very similar to the base of this recipe. What makes this recipe spectacular is the sauce. What is there not to love about a sauce made of maple syrup, butter and cream?!? Take the warm blondie, top it with vanilla ice cream and drizzle it all with the warm maple sauce. I can make myself sick with this one. In fact, I think I'm about to go get a second helping now...
For the Blondies:
10 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup walnut pieces, divided
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
6 oz. chocolate chips or chunks
For the Topping:
1/3 cup maple syrup
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
vanilla ice cream, for serving
1/2 cup walnut sprinkles, for garnishing
Make the blondies. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 X 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
Pulse 1/2 cup walnuts in a food processor until almost fine (do not over process). Whisk the ground nuts, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
Beat the butter and brown sugar with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the chocolate and the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until blondies are light brown around the edges and spring back when pressed, about 35 minutes (I had to leave mine in longer).
Meanwhile, make the topping. Place the maple syrup and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the mixture bubbles and thickens, swirling the pan, about 6 minutes (mine never really thickened a whole lot). Add the cream and continue to cook until the mixture is the consistency of caramel (again, mine never really thickened until I removed it from the heat and it cooled slightly).
Cut the blondies into bars and serve topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, chopped walnuts, and a healthy drizzle of the maple-butter sauce.
**And be sure to check out this recipe at Maple Syrup World! They have featured this recipe in their recipe archives. Maple Syrup World is a website that features 100% pure, organic maple syrup and treats. Check out more about them here!
Enjoy!
(adapted from Food Network Magazine)
Yay! I know some of you have really been waiting on this recipe. I didn't want to post it until the magazine came out. The recipe was featured in the June issue of Eastern Shore Parents Magazine! I was so excited to see it in print last week! And a big Thank You to Erin from Erin Creel Photography. I absolutely love the pictures! Lynn, the editor of the magazine tried this recipe and e-mailed me to let me know how wonderful they turned out! I can't wait to make them again. They were fabulous. Elizabeth Green, The Cake Fairy, provided me with the cake recipe. It is wonderful because it uses fresh strawberries. Nothing against box cake mix, because the strawberry ones are great. But I love how when you take a bite of this cake it has a burst of fresh strawberries in every bite. And the icing is just that...icing on the cake! It is also made with fresh strawberries so it is perfect for the cupcakes. The recipe was given to me by the Fairhope Foodie readers on Facebook. I tweaked it just a pinch and it is great. I added too much moisture with the mashed strawberries, so I ended up adding more powdered sugar to reach the stiff consistency like I needed. Shhh...I ended up adding an entire bag of powdered sugar! You wouldn't have to add that much, but I needed a stiffer consistency for the pictures. Don't get me wrong, they were great! But if you're uncomfortable using a whole bag of powdered sugar don't feel like you can't make the recipe. You will just have a softer icing! I promise you will love this. I can't wait to make these again!
(Photo by Erin Creel Photography)
Strawberry Cupcakes:
2-1/4 cup cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 stick butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup fresh mashed strawberries
16 drops pink food coloring
Strawberry Frosting:
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
4-6 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup mashed strawberries, drained well
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, salt and baking powder together in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl combine butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat for a total of 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl if needed. Quarter strawberries and pulse in a blender until mashed.
Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternating with the mashed strawberries beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Drop in food coloring and beat for 2 minutes.
Line muffin tin with paper liners. Divide batter evenly between 18 cups. Bake for 20-24 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting:
Cream butter and cream cheese together with a mixer. Gradually add in 4 cups powdered sugar. Blend in vanilla and strawberries. Make sure to drain your strawberries well, squeezing with paper towels if needed. If you add too much liquid with the strawberries add extra powdered sugar to reach desired consistency. Pipe onto cupcakes.
And be sure to check out the latest issue of Eastern Shore Parents Magazine. Its a free local publication for all of us along the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay! The cupcake recipe is featured as well as a picture of my oldest daughter, Ella. The photos were taken by Erin Creel of Erin Creel Photography. You can check out some of her latest work HERE on her Facebook page. She is mega-talented and did a fabulous job with my girls' pictures. I can't wait to work with her again!
(Photo by Erin Creel Photography)Enjoy!
(Cupcake recipe from Elizabeth Green- The Cake Fairy)
(Frosting recipe adapted from The Fairhope Foodie readers)
I love baking. Some people can cook, but they don't bake. Baking takes more time and precise measuring. I love baking because you can do it when you wake up, in the middle of the afternoon, or at midnight. It fills the house with a smell that is pure happiness. I wanted to make something for my brother's birthday. I knew he wouldn't like Pinkalicous cupcakes, so I decided to ask him what he wanted. Anything...name it and I'll make it. He said chocolate cake. Done. Now begins the search for the perfect recipe! I searched out a few and then decided to go with one of my favorites, Joy the Baker. And how could I go wrong when she calls it "The Best Chocolate Bundt Cake Ever". Yes, I knew this would be smashing. This is the best chocolate cake I have ever had. And I'm very proud that I baked it!
For the cake:
1-1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon brewed coffee
3/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)
2-1/4 cup sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
1-1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, sifted
For the glaze:
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup unsalted butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup brewed coffee, cooled (plus more if needed)
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan and set aside.
To make the cake batter: Put brewed coffee and cocoa powder in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat and let come to room temperature (I let mine sit for almost an hour).
In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a whisk attachment, mix together sugar, salt, baking soda, eggs and egg yolk on low speed for about 1 minute. Add the buttermilk, oil and vanilla extract and mix on low again for another minute.
Add the flour and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the cooled cocoa mixture and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. *The batter will be very loose*. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Let the cake cool completely in the pan and then invert onto a cooling rack. (I made my cake the day before and glazed it the day-of.)
To make the icing: Chop the chocolate into small pieces, put them in a heatproof bowl (or a double boiler), and set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Be sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the boiling water. Remove the bowl from the heat when all of the chocolate bits have melted.
Melt the butter in a separate pan or the microwave. Whisk the melted butter into the melted chocolate until thoroughly incorporated. Sift in half of the powdered sugar. Add the sour cream and whisk to combine. Sift in the remaining powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. The glaze should be thick and shiny. Lastly, add the coffee and whisk to create a glossy glaze.
Pour the glaze over the Bundt cake, covering it completely. Leave at room temperature until ready to serve.
The glaze was WONDERFUL! For those that are not coffee lovers, don't worry. You don't taste the coffee one bit. Coffee brings out the chocolate's natural flavors, so its a great pairing. Its not at all coffee-tasting.
Happy Birthday Chaz!
Enjoy!
(adapted from Joy the Baker)
There is nothing like ending the day on a sweet note. I have missed out on making this recipe the last two times I put it on the Menu. The first time my youngest daughter was sick and got put in the hospital. Not only did I miss out on it, but Shannon from The Bargain Buggy and Aubrey from Eastern Shore Mom missed out as well. I was supposed to go to Destin for a girls weekend and make this for breakfast one morning! Totally bummed. Then, last week I was exhausted from baking cupcakes and completely forgot to make it Saturday night for Sunday morning. I was determined to get it made today! I assembled it this morning before work and baked it this evening. Clay and I were happy with cereal for dinner because we got to have this for dessert! If you've been hiding in a closet and have never heard of The Pioneer Woman, you must go now to check out her site. I've made several recipes of hers and loved the results of all of them. The Chicken Scallopine I made last night was the most recent. I found this recipe because I was looking for things that used pita chips. They were on sale that week at Publix and I have several bags in my stockpile. I LOVE bread pudding and I couldn't wait to see how this turned out! The salt on the pita chips balances out the sweetness of the custard and topping. The blueberries give it a nice tart pop. And you guys know how much I love maple syrup! Either for breakfast or dessert, you can't go wrong with this recipe from The Pioneer Woman.
1 Family Size Bag Stacy's Pita chips
7 large eggs
2 cups whole milk (I used 2%)
1/2 cup heavy cream (can use half-and-half)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
6 oz. fresh blueberries (optional)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar (plus a tad more)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter
Grease 9 X 13-inch baking pan with butter. Pour in bag of pita chips and arrange evenly. In a bowl mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar and vanilla. Pour egg mixture over pita chips. Cover pan tightly with foil and place in refrigerator overnight, or at least 6 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove pan from refrigerator. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over the top. Mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Slice butter and add to bowl, then use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it looks crumbly (I used my mixer to do this).
Sprinkle flour mixture over the blueberries and make sure its evenly distributed. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Chips on top should be crispy and crunchy. Remove from oven and cut into squares. Drizzle with blueberry or maple syrup and serve warm.
Note from The Pioneer Woman: "If you're feeling naughty, top with whipped cream. Just don't say I told you to do it!"
Enjoy!
(adapted from The Pioneer Woman)
Isn't this the best cookie ever?!? When I ran across these on another blog, The Caramel Cookie, I knew I HAD to try it! We love pop-tarts at my house. Especially the S'mores flavor. These cookies were so good. In the original recipe, she used Strawberry pop-tarts. So, I guess you could use whatever kind your family likes. I love how the cookies bake up thin and crispy on the outside and soft and chewy towards the center. Yummy! I took these to work and to the girls' school and they got rave reviews both places. This is a perfect treat to bake up for yourself (because you know you're going to eat most of them!)
2 sticks unsalted butter
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 Pop-Tarts, chopped, crust removed (I used S'mores)
2 tablespoons milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over medium low heat until butter turns amber in color (about 5 minutes from the first bubbles). Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Beat the butter and sugars on medium speed for 2 minutes (the mixture will be crumbly). Add the egg, the egg yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract. Mix well until combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the Pop-Tarts. Chill the dough for 1 hour, then scoop onto a greased baking sheet (or lined with parchment paper). Lay out in rounded teaspoons. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy!
(adapted from The Caramel Cookie)
If you missed it, this pie was featured in the Baldwin Register last Wednesday. Dawn Hoover, the Spice of Life columnist, featured some "local celebs" (that would be me!) and their Mother's recipes. My Mom wanted to share her great-grandmother's Southern Pecan Cream Pie. It is absolute Heaven. I could not wait to get to her house yesterday to have some of this pie! I ate 3 slices. Yes, you read that correctly. Three slices! I must say that two of them were dinner though. I ate them curled up in bed catching up on Desperate Housewives. Such a sweet end to my Mother's Day! Put this one on the Menu next time you need to make a dessert. It is a winner for sure! Thanks Mom for making this yesterday and sharing half of a pie with me :)
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
3 egg whites
6 tablespoons sugar
1 baked 9-inch pie crust
Combine first three ingredients in a medium saucepan and set aside. Beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl. Slowly add the whole milk to the eggs. Add the milk and egg mixture to the dry ingredients in the saucepan, whisking to combine. Add the butter and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cool completely and add pecans.
In another bowl, beat egg whites until foamy, adding sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and beat until stiff. Fold half of the meringue into custard and pour into baked pastry shell.
Spread remaining meringue over filling, sealing to the edge of crust. Brown in a moderate oven at 350 degrees, for about 15 minutes. My Mom says that 8 wedges can be cut, but she prefers 6! If you like it as much as me, just sit down with the pie plate and a fork. Perfection!
*My Mom likes to bake her pie the night before and let it set up in the fridge overnight. It seems to taste better that way :)
Enjoy!
(recipe from my Mom, Sandy Sumlin)
Who doesn't love a good cookie? I liked this recipe because it uses the box cake mixes that always go on sale at the grocery stores! They came together pretty quick. If I would have rotated 2 baking sheets at a time in the oven, it would have gone faster. They are cute and fun, and the perfect size to pop in your mouth. I have already had my fair share! I need to save some for the rest of my family. I love baking in my pajamas in a quiet house. Clay took Ella to the movies and I whipped these up while Emme was taking a nap. If I would have thought about it, my iPod would have been a nice addition to that scenario! The cookies are done, and now I'm relaxing with a cup of coffee watching Emme play with some new toys. Yep...I love Saturday!
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-1/4 cups quick cooking oats
1 package Pillsbury White Cake mix
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla (clear if you have it)
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oil and oats. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in cake mix, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Fold in nuts. Form into 1-inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Remove cookies to a cooling rack. Wait about 1-2 minutes, then roll in powdered sugar while slightly warm. Yield: about 5 dozen small cookies.
Enjoy!
(adpated from Taste of Home)
I totally forgot to take a picture of these! I made them the day before and had to keep Clay and my stepson off of them Saturday night! The little size was just perfect for popping in your mouth. I did change it up by chopping up the pecans and adding them to the filling. They did not look as pretty as these, but I guess that's why these were photographed for a magazine and mine were not! My Mimi said she used to make these and they're called Pecan Tassies. Definitely a Southern thing. The thing that took the longest was shaping the shells in the mini muffin pan. If you had a tart shaper (like this one) it would make things a lot easier. I know what I'm ordering in my next Pampered Chef order! These are yummy and I'm thinking about putting them on the Holiday Baked Goods Gift List.
**Photo Courtesy of Taste of Home
3/4 cups butter, softened
6-oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups all purpose flour
Filling:
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon butter, melted
48 pecan halves
In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour, beating until mixture forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes. For filling, in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, eggs and butter.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Press onto the bottoms and up the sides of greased miniature muffin cups (or use a tart shaper). Spoon filling into cups; top each with a pecan half (I chopped the pecans and added them to the filling).
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown (Mine were in about 22 mintutes). Cool for 2-3 minutes before removing from pans to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Taste of Home)
This cheesecake was exactly what I was hoping for: light and creamy. Cheesecake is not the first thing I would order off of a dessert menu. Most of the time it is too dense and heavy for me. This cheesecake was awesome. I think my father-in-law said, "out of this world!" This is on my go-to list of dessert recipes now. It was very easy to make. And because it chills in the fridge, its great to make ahead of time. The tricky part is knowing when its ready to come out of the oven. This was my first try at a cheesecake and I just left it in a few minutes extra to be on the safe side. There were cracks on the top, so I don't know if that's normal or if I could have done something different to prevent that. Either way, it was divine. This is a must-have recipe!
40 Nilla Wafers, crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
4 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened, divided
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla, divided
3 eggs
1 8-oz. tub cool whip, thawed
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix wafer crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
Beat 3 packages of cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
Bake 50-55 minutes or until center is almost set. I baked mine an additional 5-10 minutes. The cake still "jiggled" but the top was set when I touched it. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake (I don't know if you are supposed to do this right out of the oven, or after it cools slightly. It pulled some of the cake up when I did it). Cool completely in pan.
Beat remaining cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in cool whip; spread over cheesecake. Refrigerate 4 hours. Remove rim of pan before serving cheesecake. Garnish with fresh berries.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Kraft Foods)
The Sara Lee Pound Cake was on sale this week at Publix (along with the pineapple) so I knew I had to give this one a try. The weather was great for grillin'! I must say though, that these did not turn out quite as yummy as I had hoped. Don't get me wrong, they were good, I just felt like they were missing something. So I added a little vanilla ice cream! I almost felt like the pound cake should have been soaked in something before I skewered them. I don't know what though. And if I soaked them, they might have even fallen apart. This is a great recipe to welcome Summer!
1 pineapple, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 frozen pound cake, slightly thawed, cut into 1-inch cubes
honey, for drizzling (optional)
vanilla ice cream (optional)
Soak 8 wooden skewers in water. Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Alternately thread 4 cubes each of pineapple and pound cake on each skewer. Grill, turning once, until lightly charred, about 1 minute per side (I got distracted with Emme so mine were on there a little longer!) Drizzle with honey or serve with vanilla ice cream...or both!
Enjoy!
(adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine)
Its Sunday afternoon and time to bake! I had everything on hand for these so I though, Why Not? The last time I was at Sam's I bought a big bag of walnuts. I keep nuts in the freezer to extend their shelf life. Nuts have oil in them, and the oil can turn the nuts bad quicker in the pantry. I love keeping walnuts and pecans on hand at all times. Nuts are pretty interchangeable in recipes, so use what you have on hand.
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub an 8-inch square baking pan with butter.
With a mixer, beat butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Fold in 1/2 cup each chocolate chips and walnuts (I added them all...OOPS) Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips and walnuts (all of mine when IN the batter).
Bake until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clan, 40-45 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into squares. Store blondies in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.
Enjoy!
(adapted from MarthaStewart.com)
Happy Birthday Dad! My Dad loves shortbread cookies. We used to always buy him the Walkers Shortbread cookies in the red tins when we were younger. Now, since I'm better in the kitchen, I decided to make some. You all know I love maple syrup, so these were as much for me as they were for him! We were both happy with the results! The dough can be made the night before you need to bake them. I still don't have a rolling pin, so I deconstructed my paper towel holder again. And if you don't have a round cookie cutter don't fret. I used a small Rubbermaid lunch container (the one you would put dressing in or something). They turned out great. I ate my fair share last night then bagged up some for my Dad and brought the rest to work. These cookies are Delish!
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, beaten
Combine flours and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup chopped pecans, set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until smooth and light, about 1 minute. Add the maple syrup, egg yolk and vanilla; beat on medium speed until well combined. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating until just combined. Dough should be smooth and pliable. Flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm, 1-1/2 hours or overnight (I chilled mine for about 2 hours).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper (I just used a non-stick cookie sheet).
On a lightly floured work surface (my big wooden cutting board), roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out rounds using a two-inch cookie cutter; place one inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with beaten egg; sprinkle centers with remaining 1/4 cup pecans. Press pecans into the cookie lightly.
Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until golden around the edges, 10-14 minutes. Mine did not turn really golden. The thinner ones turned more golden and they were crisper. The other ones were more "blond" and they had a softer texture when done. So, just keep an eye on them. I leaned more towards the 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to four days...if they last that long!
Enjoy!
(adapted from MarthaStewart.com)
I really had high expectations for this cake when I saw it on Joy The Baker last week. And I am proud to say that all of those expectations were met! This cake is so good! Definitely not what you would think of when you hear "Pound Cake". Its almost a cross between a pound cake and a quick bread. The cornmeal gives it a slightly different texture, though not as grainy as cornbread. My only disappointment is its not green enough! Clay thought it was good until I told him it had avocados in it. After that, he wouldn't have anything to do with it! I enjoyed my fair share tonight. The recipe makes two loaves. I wrapped one loaf and stuck it in the freezer. I kept two slices for me to snack on tomorrow and the rest is going to work. I told the guys at work that I am getting them ready for bikini season with all of the snacks I'm bringing them! But, hey, avocados are good for you right?!?
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
flesh of 1-1/2 avocados, mashed (just over 1 cup)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour (I used Pam) two loaf pans and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside. Set the four eggs on the counter to come to room temperature while you beat the butter and sugar.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed until softened and pliable. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes (mine was still a little crumbly). Add the avocado and beat another minute to incorporate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is thoroughly mixed.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half of the flour mixture, all of the buttermilk, and then the rest of the flour mixture. Beat just until combined.
Divide the dough between the two loaf pans and place in the oven. turn the oven down to 325 degrees. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cakes come out clean (Mine ended up baking for almost 30 minutes longer. I cranked it up to 350 for the last 10 minutes). Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Joy The Baker)
I love finding new snack food recipes. This would be great to serve at a party. Even better for movie night with the family! I found this recipe in this month's All You magazine and thought it was perfect this week because Publix had popcorn and peanuts on sale. I think it tastes a lot like Crunch-n-Munch. Clay has some for lunch tomorrow and the rest is going to my Office to get it out of the house!
1 bag popped popcorn (I used Butter Light)
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, in pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Line a baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper (I used foil because that's what I had). Pop popcorn in microwave. Transfer to a large bowl, add peanuts and set aside.
In a large pot, combine 1/4 cup water, sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook without stirring until mixture turns a light amber color, 4-6 minutes. If parts of syrup turn darker, tilt pot to even out heat (mine never really turned amber).
Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla and salt. Stir the popcorn and peanuts into the sugar mixture to completely coat. Scrape mixture onto papered baking sheet and let cool about 15 minutes before breaking into pieces and serving. Store in a large zippy bag.
Enjoy!
(adapted from All You Magazine)
Seriously. The name says it all. Paula Deen doesn't play around. This is some serious goodness right here! This is not your normal weeknight dessert. This is one to save for company or for an occasion. Unless Mondays are an occasion in your house. If so, then bake away! I made it for the first time last Easter and it was a total hit. This week Publix had the Italian Bread on sale for $1.99 and strawberries on sale 3/$5. I sent most of these leftovers home with my brother because I do not want to be tempted by it tomorrow. I totally saved my calories for this one! Try this if you love bread pudding. It is deeeelicious!
2 cups granulated sugar
5 large beaten eggs
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 loaf Italian bread, cubed, allow to stale overnight
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans
strawberries, sliced (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 X 13 inch pan.
Mix together the granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl; add vanilla. Put bread cubes in baking dish. Pour over cubed bread, toss around to coat, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter and pecans.
Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until set.
For the sauce:
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 egg yolks
In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk cream together with the sugar and vanilla. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Beat egg yolks in a bowl until thick and frothy (a hand mixer would save your arm). Temper with cream until incorporated (you want to slowly add the cream mixture to the egg yolks while whisking to slowly bring them up to the same temperature without scrambling the egg yolks). Return to the saucepan to low heat and cook 2-4 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat. Serve with bread pudding.
*I halved the sauce recipe when I made it tonight. Also, save your egg white for some scrambled eggs for breakfast!
Enjoy!
(Bread Pudding adapted from Paula Deen)
(Sauce adapted from Emeril Lagasse)
When I came home from the hospital after having Ella, my first daughter, a friend of mine brought me a pound cake. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I had never had a "real" homemade pound cake. I ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Obviously, losing the baby weight wasn't on my mind yet. I searched out recipes and found this one. I'm not sure if my friend used cream cheese, but this cake is just as good. The first time I made it I lost count of the sugar I was adding, and I ended up using an extra 1/2 cup. It was delicious! So, the second time I counted correctly and the cake wasn't as good. Go figure. More sugar equals better pound cake! This is my "edited" version that includes the extra 1/2 cup of sugar. The crust on the cake is great. Probably my favorite part. I promise you though, if you make this, plan to take some to somebody else. If this cake sits in your house, you WILL eat all of it!
3 sticks butter, softened
1 8-oz. block cream cheese, softened
3-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
6 eggs
3 cups cake flour
Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add salt and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time and beat after each addition. Add flour, dividing into four additions. Pour into a 10" round tube cake pan or bundt pan, buttered. Bake at 325 degrees for 1-1/2 hours or until done (I used my Pampered Chef Stone Bundt pan so I increased the temperature to 350 degrees). Let cool in the pan 10 minutes, then flip out onto a platter. Cool completely.
Enjoy!
(adapted from NorthPole.com)
Tonight I ate dessert before dinner. Shame on me! I have chicken pot pies in the oven (I have them from a freezer-cooking day), so while they're cooking I decided to go ahead and make these puffs. And eat them too! They were very quick and would be great for entertaining. Very light and refreshing. You could substitute Cool Whip for the whipped cream, but the homemade kind is SO good. Let's invite Spring to come early. I think this dessert will do the trick! This week Publix had nectarines $1.97 lb and I also saw a good price at my local farmer's market. I got the cream at Wal-mart for less than $1 and the puff pastry was a little over $3. A whole box would make 18 of these, so keep the rest in the freezer, and only pull out as much as you're going to use.
Makes 9:One 9-inch sheet puff pastry dough (2 come in a box)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar, divided
4 nectarines, pitted and thinly sliced
3/4 cup heavy cream, chilled
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I forgot to add this)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay the pastry on a floured work surface and cut into 3 strips (its already folded in 3 sections). Cut each strip into 3 squares. Arrange the squares on a baking sheet, brush with melted butter and sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar on top. Bake until golden, 12-15 minutes. Let cool.
In a bowl, sprinkle the nectarine slices with 1 tablespoon sugar; toss. Splenda could be substituted here to save some calories.
In another bowl, whip the cream, remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and vanilla until stiff (I used my stand mixer...much faster. Not to mention my arm is still intact).
Split each puff pastry square into 2 layers. Top the bottom half with the nectarine slices and a dollop of whipped cream (also could substitute reduced fat Cool Whip). Top with the "tops". I didn't do this, but I bet these would be great drizzled with a little bit of honey.
**I divided this recipe in thirds. I only made 3. I used the other puff pastry for my chicken pot pies! :)
Enjoy!
(adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine)
I found this recipe tucked in my binder, clipped from Rachael Ray Magazine. I've seen different versions of this floating around. I liked this one because it used Mountain Dew- which I stocked up on last week at CVS. I couldn't wait to tell my husband the secret ingredient in this! I am not a fan of Mountain Dew, but oh does it do wonderful stuff to this dessert! Don't forget to take the foil off the second half of baking like I did! Because of that, mine took a little longer in the oven, but it was worth the wait. The apples were tender and sweet. This is a quick ode to apple pie. Perfect for company because it looks fancy, especially with a side of ice cream, and its a cinch to make!
Flour for dusting
1 8-oz. can crescent rolls
1 Granny Smith apple- peeled and wedged (I used Gala)
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup Mountain Dew
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a surface dusted with flour, unfold the rolls. Place an apple wedge on the wide edge of each "triangle" and roll up (I used the Big and Buttery crescents so mine made 6. I also used two smaller Gala apples, so I rolled two wedges each). Place the dumplings in an 8-inch square baking dish.
In a saucepan, melt the butter with the sugar and cinnamon over medium heat; stir in the Mountain Dew. Pour the mixture over the dumplings. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes; Remove the foil and bake 15 minutes longer, or until golden brown on top. Serve with vanilla ice cream. YUMMY!
Enjoy!
(adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine)
