The Sweet Swiper

Oscar Worthy Bars

2012-02-26T18:11:00.000-08:00

Are you watching the Oscars tonight? In all honesty, it completely slipped my mind. And, in all honesty......I really only watch the shows to see what everyone's wearing. I always record it so I can fast forward through all of the Thank You blah-blah-blah. This year I haven't gotten around to seeing too many movies, and the only two I've seen that are up for Best Picture are Midnight in Paris and The Help.

Instead of thinking about the Oscars, we had our best friends son's 6th birthday party to go to today, and I decided to bring a bunch of sweets for people to snack on (and to try out some new recipes). The biggest hit were the Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookie Bars from Two Peas & Their Pod. People were going crazy for the ooey gooey-ness of these cookie bars......these bad boys definitely earn a gold star from me!

Two layers of chocolate chip cookies with a layer of caramel in between. The caramel sauce will firm up a bit as it cools, but never hardens completely.....so you'll always get a small bit of the ooze out the sides.....but I thought that just helped to show you what yumminess was waiting inside. Then there's the hit of sea salt (I used Maldon sea salt flakes) that you sprinkle over the melted caramel and then the top of the bars. I think I could have added a touch more....I loved the burst of salty flavor that you'd get when you hit the sea salt. I always seem to package up my bars the same way.....just like in the picture above......just a strip of parchment paper tied with twine......always makes for a cute presentation.

Check out Two Peas & Their Pod for the recipe.....and Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:

Sweet Indulgences Sunday - A Themed Baker's Sunday

Chocolate Chip Biscoff Blondies

2012-02-22T17:12:00.000-08:00

This is an ode to a little store known as Trader Joe's......if you're lucky enough to have one in your area, you love it.......if you're not, you're envious of those that do have one (my parents and my sister would fall into this category, living in Texas and Vermont). Lucky for me........since they originated in Southern California, we've got a bunch of them around here! And it has become my main grocery store these days......I only go to the big grocery stores for the stuff that Trader Joe's doesn't carry. Well, one of the things that Trader Joe's didn't carry was Biscoff spread.....that ooey gooey super duper yummy spread made of crushed Biscoff cookies. The only place I had found it around here was at Cost Plus. Then I spied this on a recent trip to Trader Joe's (look at the jar on the right)......

What? Are you kidding me?? Same size jar and everything.....almost identical taste! (Almost, because I think the Biscoff spread was a tad more sweet?) And that's not it.....check out what else I found.....

Could it be?? Could they have Biscoff cookies as well as the spread? Could this be the awesomest store in the entire world? Check it out......

The top on is the original, the bottom is the Bistro Biscuit from TJ's.

Oh yeah! The look the same! And taste? Taste was exactly the same to me.....the original Biscoff was maybe a tad crispier.....but otherwise, you would never know the difference. Happy happy joy joy! So I got home and had to find something to do with these, before I just started dunking the cookies directly into the spread!

I remembered seeing a Biscoff blondie recipe from Mother Thyme a couple of weeks ago, and I figured that would be a great one to try because it uses both the spread AND the cookies. You actually make a cookie crust out of crushed Biscoff cookies, and then top it off with a yummy chocolate chip blondie batter that has a whole cup of Biscoff spread in it! Yum! These were delicious! The hubby took them to work, and they disappeared (my favorite kind of dessert!). I definitely will make these again!

Check out Mother Thyme for the recipe....and Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:

Bake with Bizzy - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday - Friday Favorites - Friday Free-For-All - Fusion Friday - Anything Goes Linky - Friday Food - Fun Stuff Friday - Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - A Themed Baker's Sunday

TWD: Chocolate Truffle Tart

2012-02-21T06:58:00.000-08:00

Welcome to round 2 of Tuesdays with Dorie, as we bake our way through Baking with Julia. For this round we are tackling the Chocolate Truffle Tartlettes......or in my case, a Chocolate Truffle Tart. I didn't have any small tart rings, just one big 10" one.....so a giant super-chocolately tart is what I got!

I made the chocolate tart crust in my food processor and let it chill in the fridge overnight before I rolled it out, baked it, and worked on the filling. I had a little trouble rolling out the dough without it cracking....if you look closely you can probably still see some cracks, but in the end it did come together and bake beautifully. The filling has bittersweet chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and chopped up biscotti, and came out of the oven with a beautiful glossy finish.......the tart is seriously chock-full of yumminess!

The hubby and I each had a small sliver for dessert with some fresh whipped cream.....this is definitely not a dessert that you'll be able to eat a lot of.....it's truly rich and decadent. That being said......the hubby, who is not a lover of all things chocolate......loved this dessert, and had it not been 10 pm already, probably would have gone back for more! That's enough for me.....it's a winner!!

For the recipe, please check out our hosts for this round, Jaime at Good Eats and Treats or Jessica at Cookbookhabit, and click here to see all the other baker's results.....Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:
Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Tasty Tuesday - T' Time - Tuesday Talent Show - These Chicks Cooked - Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party - Link It Up Wednesday - Cast Party Wednesday - Bake with Bizzy - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday - Friday Favorites - Friday Free-For-All - Fusion Friday - Anything Goes Linky - Friday Food - Fun Stuff Friday - Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - A Themed Baker's Sunday

Club: Baked - Soft Candy Caramels

2012-02-15T07:24:00.000-08:00

The latest round of Club: Baked is being hosted by Teri at The Freshman Cook, and she has selected Soft Candy Caramels. I have to admit, I was a little worried about trying to make these.....I was convinced that I would overcook the caramel, and instead of a lovely soft and chewy candy, I would end up with something of a tooth breaker!

Well.....I needn't have worried.....the directions were perfect, and the caramels came out so wonderfully soft and chewy! Even the hubby, who is not a caramel-y kind of guy, thought these were fantastic. Another win for the boys at Baked!

There aren't any fancy ingredients.......you just need to have a candy thermometer, and make sure that it is working (so you don't over or under cook the caramel). You'll be rewarded with something sooooo much better than any store-bought caramels. And the recipe makes a big batch......so you can pass them out to friends and family. They were perfect bagged up and tied with ribbon.....I handed them out to friends at out son's Valentine's Day show.

Check out The Freshman Cook for the recipe.....and go to Club: Baked to see how the other bakers did........Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:
Link It Up Wednesday - Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Part Wednesday - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Anything Goes Linky - Fusion Fridays - Friday Free-For-All - Friday Favorites - Fun Stuff Fridays - Sweet Tooth Friday - I'm Lovin' It - Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - Friday Food - Link Party - Tea Party Tuesday - Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Tasty Tuesday - T' Time - Tuesday Talent Show

Blackberry Marble Cheesecake

2012-02-15T02:00:00.000-08:00

For this round of the Martha Stewart Cupcake Club (MSCC), we're making Blackberry Marble Cheesecake. Well, actually it's supposed to be Raspberry Marble Cheesecake.......but when I decided to make this I had all of the ingredients except for raspberries. So, after rummaging around in the fridge and the pantry, I found a jar of seedless blackberry jam. Since the raspberries were going to be pureed and swirled into the cheesecake anyways, I figured that using the jam would be a fine substitute.....and it was! The only difference is that instead of a pretty pink/red swirl, I had a purple swirl....fine by me....I love purple!!

These were really easy to put together.......throw together a quick graham cracker crumb crust and put a tablespoon or so into the bottom of each cupcake liner......bake for a few minutes until set......mix together the cream cheese/sugar/egg mixture......divide evenly between the cupcake liners and swirl in a couple of dots of the blackberry/raspberry mixture. Then you'll bake them in a water bath. They came out perfect and were a huge hit at my niece's birthday party!

For the recipe, go to Martha Stewart.....and for the rest of the baker's results, check out the MSCC.......and Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-13T18:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope that you are all able to spend time with the ones that you love today. We'll be spending part of our day at our Kindergartener's Love program that his school is putting on with all of the Kindergarten classes. I've been spying on some of the rehearsals, and I can't wait for the hubby to see it! Our little guy sure loves being up their.....singing with the biggest smile! Aside from that we don't have too much planned.....just spending the day together and having fun!

For our little guys class I decided to come up with another Oreo to hand out for Valentine's Day. Since I couldn't come up with a way to do anything heart shaped, I settled on ladybugs. I know they're not necessarily Valentine's Day-y, but they're red and they're cute.....enough for me!

I first got the idea for the ladybugs when I saw them posted on the Pop.o.licious Facebook page about a month ago. The picture they posted was from Party Pinching, and although I didn't stick with what they did, they definitely got me going on the ladybug kick.

To make these cuties you'll need:
Oreos (regular or double stuff.....your call)
red candy melts
black candy melts
candy eyes
black edible marker (or purple, brown, or blue)

I decided to make these without the lollipop stick.....I thought they would be cute just on their own. Up to you which way you want to do it.

First you'll want to dip your Oreos completely into the melted black candy melts. I use a fork to pick up the Oreo and shake off the excess candy melt coating. Slide the Oreo off of the fork onto a sheet of wax paper. Add the candy eyes to one side of the Oreo before the black coating has started to harden.

Once the black coating has hardened, it's time to melt the red candy melts. Hold the Oreo where the candy eyes are and dip the side of the Oreo at an angle one way, and then the other. Shake of the excess a bit, and then plance back on the wax paper.

After the red coating has hardened, it's time to break out your black edible marker, or in the case of me, my purple and blue. My black marker had decided it no longer wanted to deposit ink on anything but my fingers......oh well! You really can't tell that the purple or blue are even purple or blue.....so any dark color will work. You're just gonna make some dots.....however many you want. Let that ink dry, and you're done!! Bag those little cuties up and tie with some twine.

I need to remember to take step-by-step pictures one of these days.....I just have a tendency to be so focused on what I'm doing that I completely forget about that until I'm all done. Sorry about that......

So there ya have it.....what my little guy is taking to his class for Valentine's Day. Hope you have a lovely day......and Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:

Rainbow Cupcakes

2012-02-12T08:52:00.000-08:00

Today we're getting together for my niece's birthday, so my boys are getting all amped up to see all of their cousins today. This year she has requested chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting......so while I'm finishing those up, I thought I'd share this photo of the cupcakes I made for her birthday last year (before I started blogging). What little girl doesn't love rainbows? Ok.....I'm obviously not a little girl anymore, and I still love rainbows!!

These cupcakes came out beautifully, and are not hard at all, but will take a little patience to put them all together. You'll make your cupcake batter, and then divide up the batter into several bowls (the number of bowls you need depends on how many colors you want to have). Then it's time to break out the gel food coloring! My hands looked insanely crazy when this part was done, since no matter how careful I am, I always get stuff all over me! I went with red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. I could have thrown in purple too, but in all honesty, I just couldn't get myself to do one more color. Once you get all of your batter to the color and intensity that you like, you're going to start layering the batter in the cupcake liners. Put a spoonful of a color in the liner, spread it out, then add a spoonful of another color, spread it out, and on and on until all the colors are used. Voila!

For a step by step tutorial, check out Our Best Bites......and Enjoy!!

Happy Birthday Katrina!!

This post is linked to:

Sweet Indulgences Sunday - A Themed Baker's Sunday - It's a Celebration - Link Party - T' Time - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - Tea Party Tuesday - Bake with Bizzy - Link It Up Wednesday - Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Part Wednesday - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Anything Goes Linky - Fusion Fridays - Friday Free-For-All - Friday Favorites - Fun Stuff Fridays - Sweet Tooth Friday - I'm Lovin' It - Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - Friday Food - Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday

The Search for the Ultimate Chocolate Cake

2012-02-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

This round of the Crazy Cooking Challenge, hosted by Tina over at Moms Crazy Cooking, is looking for the ultimate Chocolate Cake. Yum! One of my favorite things!

I had planned on trying out a made from scratch chocolate cake (can't give away which recipe since I'll be trying it soon), but as soon as I saw the Toasted Marshmallow Hot Fudge Cake from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen....I knew I had my cake. Just the words "toasted marshmallow" and "hot fudge" had me drooling.....but put them together with a chocolate cake.......yes, please!!

And this recipe could not be any easier! Make a chocolate cake from a box mix.......poke holes in the cake once it's out of the oven and drizzle a jar of hot fudge sauce over the top. The top with marshmallow fluff and put back in the oven until the marshmallow gets nice and toasty. Easy Peasy!

You'll end up with a ooey gooey chocolate cake with toasted marshmallow frosting. This one was right up my alley! Enjoy!!

Toasted Marshmallow Hot Fudge Cake

Source: Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

1 box of chocolate cake mix

eggs called for on box

oil called for on box

water called for on box

1 jar of hot fudge sauce

2 (7 oz.) jars of marshmallow fluff

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare your chocolate cake using the directions on the back of the box, and pour into a greased and floured 9x13 cake pan.

Bake cake according to the directions on the box. When cake is almost done, gently warm up the jar of hot fudge until it is pourable. When cake is done, take it out of the oven, and turn up the temperature of your oven up to 400 degrees F.

While the cake is still hot, use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake, then pour the hot fudge sauce all of over the cake, letting it soak into the holes.

Place dollops of the marshmallow fluff all over the cake, then wait a couple of minutes for the fluff to melt a bit. Spread the marshmallow fluff evenly all over the cake, then place the cake back in the oven. Bake until the marshmallow topping begins to get browned and toasty. Remove from oven and try to not eat it all in one sitting.

Check out what everyone else has made, and vote for your favorite!

This post is linked to:
Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Link Party - Tuesday Talent Show - Tea Party Tuesday - T' Time - Tasty Tuesday - Link It Up Wednesday - Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - Famous Linkz - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Friday Favorites - Feature Friday Free-for-all - Anything Goes Linky - Fusion Fridays - Friday Food - Fun Stuff Friday - Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday

TWD : White Loaves

2012-02-07T03:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first round of baking for the new Tuesdays with Dorie baking group! We're baking our way through Baking with Julia: Savor the Joys of Baking with America's Best Bakers. Julia Child and Dorie Greenspan? You can't go wrong!

First up, we're baking the White Loaves recipe. I'm not a big bread baker, although after flipping through Baking with Julia, it looks like I will be by the time we're done! This one was a pretty straightforward recipe, as far as bread goes. I only ran into one, slightly large-ish problem. Midway through using my standing mixer to knead the dough, my 13+ year old standing mixer decided to die on me. Such a sad day......we'd been through so many recipes together! Sooooo.......I finished kneading the bread by hand....and oh boy, was that an arm workout!! I think that because I was kneading by hand, I wasn't able to incorporate the butter into the dough as well as the mixer would have.....but it was still delicious! The hubby went to town with this bread! And let me tell you how delicious it was toasted with some jam.....yummy! I noticed that there were several people planning on doing a cinnamon sugar swirl in the bread, and I wish I had tried that......I'm sure it was delicious!

To see the other baker's results, check out Tuesdays with Dorie, and for the recipe check out co-host Julie's blog over at Someone's in the Kitchen.......Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Link Party - Tuesday Talent Show - Tea Party Tuesday - T' Time - Tasty Tuesday - Link It Up Wednesday - Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - Full Plate Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Friday Favorites - Feature Friday Free-for-all - Anything Goes Linky - Fusion Fridays - Friday Food - Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Sweets for your Valentine

2012-02-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

Have you decided what you're making your Valentine this year? If you haven't come up with anything yet, can I suggest these? Strawberry Milk Whoopie Pies! I spotted these over the summer at Sprinkles Bakes, and have been trying to find a time to make them......well, Valentine's Day is just perfect for the pretty pink beauties.

Now, I have to admit, these are not really my cup of tea......although I loved making them and I think they're absolutely adorable.....I would much prefer something chocolate-y :) The hubby, on the other hand, thought that these were super duper fantastic.......he was a happy camper when these were all done. In fact, he took the rest of them to work, and they were completely devoured! Majority rules on this one, right?

The super soft, cake-y cookies taste just like strawberry milk.......or like taking a bite of a strawberry jello poke cake. Inside is a sweet, yummy buttercream.....and topped with a fun swirl of sprinkles. The hubby sure enjoyed his early Valentine's Day treat!

Check out Sprinkles Bakes for the recipe.......and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:

Club: Baked - Speculaas

2012-02-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

This round of baking over at Club: Baked is being co-hosted with the other online group baking their way through Baked Explorations, Baked Sunday Mornings. How fun! This time around we're making Speculaas....the little cookie with a funny name and lots of flavor! Speculaas have been all the rage lately.....due to the blogosphere's obsession with all things Biscoff. I am also totally guilty of loving Biscoff cookies, so I was very curious how theses would come out.

These cookies definitely had a similar flavor profile to Biscoff cookies, although there was a little more flavor from all the spices coming through. And my cookies seemed to have a crunchier texture than Biscoffs. But man oh man.......these bad boys were absolutely perfect to pair with a cup a tea or coffee.......delicious!

To check out the other baker's links, go to Club: Baked.......and for the recipe, check out Baked Sunday Mornings.......and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:

Boeuf Bourguignon Soup

2012-01-24T12:41:00.000-08:00

So how about we switch gears for a minute and do a savory dish? I don't usually post anything I make for dinner......not because it's not good.....but because I'm too busy trying to finish cooking and get it on the table before it gets too late. But this soup was so good, I had to take a moment and document....trust me.....you'll want to try this one!

I still haven't gotten up the nerve to try the masterpiece that is Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon (you've seen or read Julie and Julia right?). I've got Mastering the Art of French Cooking on my bookshelf....I keep telling myself that's something I'll tackle when the boys get a little older.......we'll see.......

In the meantime, I found this recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon Soup (I love saying Boeuf Bourguignon.....so fun!) in Martha Stewart magazine...so you know you can't go wrong. Short ribs, mushrooms, bacon, red wine......so many yummy things in here! It's a one pot dish.....you'll just need to give yourself the couple of hours on the stovetop to get those short ribs nice and tender.

Check out Martha Stewart for the recipe.......and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Tuesday Talent Show - Link Party - Link It Up Wednesday - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - Full Plate Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - It's a Keeper Thursday - Anything Goes Linky - Feature Friday Free-for-All - Friday Favorites - Fusion Fridays - Friday Food

Toffee Whopper Oatmeal Cookies

2012-01-21T02:00:00.000-08:00

These cookies were a huge hit! Crispy edges, chewy centers, with oatmeal, toffee chips, and chopped up Whoppers......they've got it all! Of course, since it's from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen, you know it's gonna be good....and gonna have tons of yummy stuff in it, right?

This was the first time I had made a batch a cookies that called for a box of instant pudding. I know there are a million recipes out there for different kinds of cookies with pudding in the dough.....I just had never gotten around to any of them. I'm sure that helped with the chewiness of these....I'm sold! I'll have to try some other ones now as well!

By the way......are you wondering about the little monster guys? Well.....in a house with two little boys (and don't forget about the hubby), there is bound to be some video gaming going on. Well, thanks to some Christmas presents, my boys are loving the world of Skylanders. Of course, so is everyone else apparently......because if you try to go to the store now and find some, the shelves are picked bare! So since they're such a part of our lives, we decided they had to be in a picture :)

Check out Confessions of a Cookbook Queen for the recipe......and Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

2012-01-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the January round of the Improv Cooking Challenge, hosted by Kristen over at the Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. The two ingredients for this round of the Improv Cooking Challenge were lemons and sour cream....yummy, right? I wanted to make something on the simple side, and not too heavy (since we were leaving for Maui the next day!). I found this recipe for a Lemon Poppy Seed Sour Cream Cake in Rose's Heavenly Cakes, by Rose Levy Beranbaum. I've had the book for a while now, and though I've loved looking at the pictures in it, I hadn't tried a recipe in it yet.

This cake absolutely hit the spot. It has a lovely lemon-y taste from the lemon zest in the cake and the lemon juice the the syrup drizzled over the top. The sour cream gives it a nice little tang-y kick. And the poppy seeds.....they're so pretty (although the recipe did pretty much use up my whole jar of them).

So grab some lemons.......and Enjoy!

Lemon Poppy Seed-Sour Cream Cake
Source: Rose's Heavenly Cakes, by Rose Levy Beranbaum

2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 1 T sour cream
1 3/4 t pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups superfine sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
5 t loosely packed lemon zest
1/3 cup poppy seeds
14 T unsalted butter (65 to 75 degrees)

Coat a bundt cake pan or fluted tube pan with baking spray with flour.

With the oven rack in the lower third of the oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees if using a dark pan).

Whisk together the whole egg, yolk, 1/4 cup of the sour cream, and the vanilla, in a medium bowl until just lightly combined.

In the bowl of a standing mixer with the flat beater attachment, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt lemon zest, and poppy seeds on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining sour cream. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 minutes. The mixture will lighten in color and texture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Starting on low speed, gradually add the egg mixture in two parts, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Using a silicone spatula or spoon, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly with a small metal spatula.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted between the tube and the side comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The cake should start to shrink from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven.

Shortly before the cake is finished baking, make the lemon syrup.

Lemon Syrup

1/2 cup plus 1 T sugar
6 T lemon juice, freshly squeezed (2 large lemons)

In a 1-cup or larger microwavable glass measure (or in a small saucepan over medium heat), heat the sugar and lemon juice, stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved. Do not allow it to boil. Cover it tightly to prevent evaporation.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, place the pan on a wire rack, poke the cake all over with a thin skewer, and brush it with about 1/3 of the syrup. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert it onto a 10-inch cardboard round or serving plate. Brush the top and sides of the cake with the remaining syrup. Cool completely and wrap airtight.

For best flavor, complete the cake 1 day ahead.

Check out what everyone else made!

This post is linked to:
Bake With Bizzy - It's a Keeper Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Anything Goes Linky - Fun Stuff Fridays - Seasonal Inspiration - Fusion Friday - Friday Favorites - Friday Food - Sweet Tooth Friday - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - T' Time - Tuesday Talent Show - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Link Party - Bake with Bizzy - Link It Up Wednesday - Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday

Aloha!

2012-01-16T20:26:00.000-08:00

Aloha everyone! I know I've been quiet this whole week, but I had a good excuse....we went on vacation!! This was our first actual vacation as a family with the two boys.....our other vacations were apparently "trips" and not "vacations" (according to the hubby)....they generally involved a lot of running around and other family with us. This vacation was all about us hanging out at the beach and/or pool with the boys and having fun as a family. And it started out so wonderfully........

There's just no beating Hawaiian sunsets!

The boys were fantastic on the flight over......I think we may have some travelers on our hands! Got to Maui just after noon, grabbed our car, got some supplies, and headed on over to Wailea. We got to stay at the Grand Wailea (my first time there), and let me tell you.....this place is a-ma-zing!! The boys never wanted to leave. Between the pools (and the awesome waterslides) and the gorgeous beach.....the boys were in hog heaven!

Even our little guy enjoyed the slides!

Our third day there started off as a great day exploring nearby beaches.....and even included a lovely massage for me at the spa (yeah!!)......but as soon as I got back to our room I started feeling yucky. I remembered the lovely lady that had been hacking away on the plane across the aisle from me, and I got that sinking feeling. Yep....hello flu!! And not the 24-hour, knock you on your butt, but you're better fast, kind of flu.....oh no.

Black Sand Beach

Keawala'i Chuch - established 1832

Today is 6 days later, and this is the first day that I haven't had a fever. Yeah, the rest of the vacation is kind of a blur for me. Luckily the kids and the hubby were ok for the most part.....the hubby started getting it as we were heading home...and both boys got fevers once we got home. So.....great start to a vacation, kind of a lousy ending. There was a lot we were planning on doing that we couldn't get to.....but what are you gonna do? Things happen. We had some great family time, and the boys were really bummed that we were leaving Maui. We'll be back Maui!! We've got unfinished business!!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

2012-01-05T15:16:00.000-08:00

Oh my! How did I ever let this one slip by? As I was going through some old pictures I found this one of Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Dulce de Leche frosting that I made back in the Fall. These were a huge hit, they were insanely delicious, and yet I somehow completely forgot to post them. Wow! My bad!

I had some leftover Dulce de Leche Buttercream Frosting after making a batch of Tres Leches Cupcakes (which you need to make if you haven't yet!). I couldn't bear the idea of tossing the frosting, bit I wasn't in the mood for more cupcakes. So, after thumbing through a bunch of my cookbooks, I settled on the Chocolate Whoopie Pies from Baked Explorations (you can't go wrong with those guys!). Their recipe called for a Swiss Vanilla filling, but I used my leftover Dulce de Leche buttercream frosting, and it went together perfectly! The whoopie pies are a deep dark chocolate, and I think for my first time making whoopie pies, they don't look half bad! These got rave reviews from everyone, including the hubby!

Check out the recipe for the Whoopie Pies at Modern Domestic, and the frosting recipe at Bakers Royale......and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:

Club: Baked - Devil's Food Cupcakes

2012-01-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012! Hope you had a Happy New Year's! We were very low key last night......but I did manage to sneak in some baking yesterday! After missing the last two Club: Baked assignments, I was determined not to miss another! This time around, Natalie, over at Just About Food, has selected Devil's Food Cake with Angel Frosting. As I do with most of the cake recipes selected, I opted to make cupcakes. And let me tell you......these were perfect, if not ideal, as cupcakes!!

The chocolate cupcakes are super chocolate-y, thanks to not only dark cocoa powder and dark chocolate, but the addition of strong coffee or espresso to boost the chocolate flavor. These cupcakes are tender and moist.....they just might end up being my go-to chocolate cupcake!

Now let's talk about this frosting. It might not be everyone's favorite, but for someone like me, that absolutely loves marshmallow....this Angel Frosting is absolutely fabulous! It truly just tastes like marshmallow fluff, with a little vanilla bean loveliness. And the best part? There's no butter in this frosting! Yep! Just sugar. Makes me happy!

Give these a try......you'll love them!

Check out Club: Baked for the other baker's results.....and got to Just About Food for the recipe......Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Tuesday Talent Show - Link Party - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Tea Party Tuesday - Tasty Tuesday - T Time - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Cast Party Wednesday - Bake with Bizzy - Full Plate Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Fusion Fridays - Anything Goes Linky - Feature Friday Free For All - Friday Favorites - Friday Food - I'm Lovin' It - Fun Stuff Fridays - Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - A Baker's Themed Sunday

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T09:28:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that 2011 is over already! This year absolutely flew by! 2012 will bring even more changes......we're planning on moving before summer (the moving/packing part is what I'm dreading)......we're applying to schools for next year (in the area we're moving to).....1st grade for our big guy, and preschool for the little monkey......my little sister is getting married in the U.P. in Michigan this summer (yeah!)......and there will be more travelling (hello Maui!). You can bet that 2012 will go by just as fast!

So check out these Confetti Cookies from Momofuku Milk Bar. To me they look like a party in a cookie! Who doesn't love those funfetti box cake mixes? Well, the peeps at Momofuku Milk Bar have figured out how to get that funfetti cake mix taste from scratch. And, well, it tastes even better!

Like some of their other recipes......this one is a two-parter. There is a birthday cake crumb mixture you will mix into the cookie dough.....absolutely worth the extra step! The cookies come out crispy on the edges, and super chewy on the inside. Not to mention the sprinkles and the taste of birthday cake.

This is the third cookie recipe I've made from the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook (I've also made the Blueberry and Cream cookies, and the Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow cookies).....and they have all been delicious!

Check out Serious Eats for the recipe.....Happy New Year and Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:
Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Tuesday Talent Show - Link Party - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Tea Party Tuesday - Tasty Tuesday - T Time - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Cast Party Wednesday - Bake with Bizzy - Full Plate Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Fusion Fridays - Anything Goes Linky - Feature Friday Free For All - Friday Favorites - Friday Food - I'm Lovin' It - Fun Stuff Fridays

Apple-Cranberry Pie

2011-12-29T09:27:00.000-08:00

Have you recovered from Christmas yet? It took me a couple of days to not feel exhausted.....but man, was it worth it! We had a fantastic time, both on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day!

As usual, I am in charge of desserts on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day......and in the weeks leading up to the holiday I had a list a mile long of all of the things I wanted to make. A few days before Christmas Eve I started realizing how much time I needed in the kitchen to do what I wanted to do.......so I made a decision then and there that I had to shrink the list down and spend more time playing with the kiddos and enjoying the season. So I don't have a million new recipes to show you from Christmas.....most of the things that I ended up making are tried and true recipes that our family loves. This was the best decision I could have made! I was completely stress-free, and got to thoroughly enjoy the holiday. What I ended up making was:

All of these were repeats except for the Apple-Cranberry Pie, which was delicious! I was on a cranberry kick and had seen this recipe in an issue of Gourmet. Looking online, it had gotten great reviews and looked pretty painless to throw together.

All of the cousins, minus my youngest, who was sleeping.

Again, I used refrigerated pie crust.......one of these days I will get comfortable with making my own. Both the topping and the filling of this pie are pretty fast to throw together.....the only time consuming part being the peeling, coring, and slicing of apples. After you place the filling in the pie crust you are actually going to bake it without the crumb topping for a bit, until the apples begin to soften. Then you'll put the crumb topping on and continue baking till bubbly. You may want to put a baking sheet or some aluminum foil beneath the pie pan. I experienced a bit of filling spillage while it was baking....which was not too fun to clean up from the bottom of the oven. Also, keep an eye on the crumb topping once it's on.....the pecan may darken too quickly and you'll have to top with foil.

The pie had the lovely sweetness from the apples and the crumb topping....contrasted with the yummy tartness of the cranberries. I heard a couple of people mentioned that it tasted like the holidays. Perfect!!

Go to Epicurious.com for the recipe.....and Enjoy!

My little monkeys....yep, I dressed them matchy-matchy!

This post is linked to:
Full Plate Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - It's a Keeper Thursday - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Anything Goes Linky - Show Off Your Stuff - I'm Lovin' It - Friday Food - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Tuesday Talent Show - Link Party - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Tea Party Tuesday - Tasty Tuesday - T Time - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Cast Party Wednesday - This Week's Cravings

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-24T22:05:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve is done. The kiddos are all asleep.....the cookies and milk have been laid out for Santa.....and the reindeer food and carrots have been set outside for the reindeer.

We had a fantastic day with our family today. Our boys got to play with their 7 cousins (on the hubby's side), and had such an amazing time they were more than ready to go to bed tonight!

I made these Christmas tree cupcakes after seeing picture after picture of similar ones on Pinterest. I had plans on making Devil's Food cupcakes (the next challenge for the Club: Baked group), but can you believe it? I ran out of flour! I bake all of the time, and usually pay close attention to my supplies......how did that completely slip by me? I decided to do a white cake box mix, and then made my own frosting. I again used the Perfect Cupcake Frosting from Our Best Bites (it's the only one I ever use anymore). I tinted it Christmas tree green, and using a large 1B tip, made a tower of frosting topped with a star, and covered in sprinkles. I did have trouble with a slightly too warm kitchen causing a couple of my trees to lean to the side. I kept those for me!

I hope that you are all having a wonderful Christmas.......Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Tuesday Talent Show - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - T' Time - Full Plate Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - It's a Keeper Thursday - It's a Celebration - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Anything Goes Linky - Show Off Your Stuff - I'm Lovin' It - Friday Food - Sweets for a Saturday

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T09:38:00.000-08:00

So do you have everything done yet? What? No? What are you waiting for? Kidding! I will be busting my butt tonight finishing up everything.......last minute wrapping.....baking.....and cleaning. We'll be heading over to my in-laws house for Christmas Eve (with all 9 of their grandkids, and my parents, who flew in from Texas). Then we'll have Christmas Day at our house with my parents, my sister and brother-in-law, and our dearest family friends. I'm so excited.....just got to get through today!

I usually end up passing out cookies to all of our neighbors as a little Christmas treat. But then, everyone else also does that, so you just end up with a pile of cookies. So, I decided to be a little bit different this year and bake up little breads instead. I settled on this Cranberry-Walnut Bread from Martha Stewart Everyday Food. It's bursting with fresh cranberries, walnuts, and an added zing from orange zest and orange juice. I had found the paper mini bread loaf pans at Sur laTable a while back, and I figured it was the perfect thing for a holiday gift! Give this a try.....tastes like the holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! I hope that you are able to spend the holidays with your loved ones near.....and may your New Year be filled with many sweet things.

Enjoy!

CRANBERRY-ORANGE WALNUT BREAD

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 cup fresh orange juice

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until combined. Add egg, and beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until combined (dough will appear very dry). Reduce speed to low; beat in orange zest and juice. Fold in cranberries and walnuts.

3. Spread batter in prepared pan, smoothing top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour (tent with foil if top is browning too quickly). Cool in pan 10 minutes; run a knife around edges of loaf, and invert onto a wire rack. Turn top side up; cool completely before slicing.

This post is linked to:

Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - I'm Lovin' It - Friday Food - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Tuesday Talent Show - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - T' Time - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Full Plate Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - It's a Keeper Thursday - Anything Goes Linky - Show Off Your Stuff

Santa's Cookie

2011-12-22T21:54:00.000-08:00

Have you decided what cookies to make for Santa yet? I am a firm believer that Santa likes to get chocolate chip cookies......but how about chocolate chip cookies with a little something extra? I've mentioned before how awesome Momofuku Milk Bar is.......I've made the Blueberry and Cream Cookies (my favorite cookies), and their Crack Pie (there is a reason it's called that).

Well, now I can add to the list, their amazing Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookie. This cookie has it all.....chocolate chips.....marshmallows......and a special cornflake crunch. The end result of these is that you get super crunchy edges, with a delicious and chewy center. The best of both worlds!

Check out Daily Candy for the recipe....and Enjoy! Oh, and leave a couple for Santa!

This post is linked to:
Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - I'm Lovin' It - Friday Food - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Tuesday Talent Show - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Full Plate Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - It's a Keeper Thursday

Spreading the Christmas Cheer

2011-12-16T09:35:00.000-08:00

The hubby was on Cloud 9 last night! We were at the Mark and Brian Christmas show last night (the morning show hosts on 95.5 for anyone not in LA), and thanks to our awesome friend Preva, the hubby got to meet his guitar idol! The hubby is a musician.......he's been playing guitar forever....and growing up, Steve Lukather (guitar player for Toto) was always his guitar god. He was terrified of meeting him.....worried he would say something stupid, or worse yet, that Steve wouldn't be a nice guy. Well, it couldn't have gone better! They chatted for a while, did a couple of bro hugs, got to talk gear......and the hubby looked like a kid on Christmas morning who just got everything they had asked for! So thank you to Steve Lukather, for being a great guy....and a huge hug and thank you to Preva for making it happen!

Have you started making all of your goodies for Christmas Eve and Day yet? I'm planning on starting this weekend...still trying to decide everything I'll do. One thing I made, and really like, is the Cake Batter Chocolate Bark, from How Sweet It Is. You pretty much can't go wrong with anything from her site, and this one is no exception.

Can you melt chocolate in the microwave? Then you need to make this! Couldn't be easier.....you just need to give yourself time for the layers to harden up (sticking it in the freezer will speed it up). I went ahead and used Christmas colored sprinkles, but check out Jessica's pictures with the rainbow sprinkles.....love it!

The cake batter flavor isn't overpowering.....so if you're not looking for it, you may not even notice it. But if you're a fan, you'll notice it for sure, and you'll love it. Just make sure to use some good quality chocolate, since that;s the only ingredient, you'll want it to shine!

Well, that's it......I'm off to start putting my list together of what I want to get done in the kitchen this week......and maybe try to get my Christmas cards in the mail, finally.

Check out How Sweet It Is for the recipe.....and enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Fusion Fridays - I'm Lovin' It - Fun Stuff Fridays - Anything Goes Linky - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmm.......Dessert - Tea Party Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - T' Time - Tasty Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Anything Goes Linky - Sweet Treats Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Friday Food

MSCC: Red Velvet Cupcakes

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

This month's selection for the Martha Stewart Cupcake Club (MSCC) was picked by Cindy over at Everyday Insanity, and she has selected Red Velvet Cupcakes! I think that has to be one of everyone's favorite cupcakes, I know it's one of mine!

As you can see from the picture, these cupcakes really do retain their red color. According to Martha, there is a chemical reaction between the vinegar and baking soda that are added at the end of the mixing, and this enhances the red coloring. They were definitely more vibrant than some of the other red velvet recipes I've tried.

I brought these to a friend's Christmas party, and they were a hit! The buttermilk in the recipe adds a little tang to these that I loved.

The only change I made was that I didn't use the normal cream cheese frosting that is customary with red velvet. It's not my favorite, and since we were bringing this to a party with tons of kiddos, I figured a vanilla frosting would be a bigger hit. I went ahead and used Our Best Bites perfect cupcake frosting. If you haven't tried it yet, please do the next time you make cupcakes.....it's amazing!! When it's done it tastes like a cross between buttercream and whipped cream. Truly one of my favorite frostings!

Check out the other baker's cupcakes here, and go to Everyday Insanity for the recipe.......and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - Show Off Your Stuff - Fusion Fridays - I'm Lovin' It - Fun Stuff Fridays - Anything Goes Linky - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmm.......Dessert - Tea Party Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - T' Time - Tasty Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - It's a Celebration

Penguin Oreo Pops

2011-12-12T15:03:00.000-08:00

Are you sick of all the Oreo pop and cakepop posts yet? Well, too bad, because I've got another one today!

I picked up some football-shaped Oreos from the store around Thanksgiving, and was trying to figure out what to make with them. Then I saw a penguin cakepop post from Pop.O.Licious, and decided to give that a try in Oreo form. Because of the shape of the Oreos, I didn't put any feet on them, but if I had used regular Oreos I think I would have, because it looks pretty darn cute. You could also put little Santa hats on them, if you wanted that extra little Christmas something.

Check out the Pop.O.Licious site for instructions on making these cute guys, as well as a ton of other Christmas themed cakepops!!

This post is linked to:
Monday, Mmm....Dessert - Holiday Food Blog Hop - T' Time - Tea Party Tuesday - Link Party - Tasty Tuesday - Holly Bloggy Christmas - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Link it Up Wednesday - Full Plate Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Fusion Fridays - I'm Lovin' It - Fun Stuff Fridays - Anything Goes Linky - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweets for a Saturday - Christmas Traditions Linkup - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - It's a Celebration

Biscoff Cookie Dough Balls

2011-12-10T18:05:00.001-08:00

Time to continue my obsession with all things Biscoff. Sadly, the hubby has not shared this obsession.....until now. This is the first thing I've made with Biscoff where he gets it. Super tender, Biscoff flavored, and spiked with mini chocolate chips. So yes, you're going to have to try these!

These dough ball cookies are super duper similar to the Peanut Butter Dough Balls that I made earlier, with the Biscoff spread substituting the peanut butter. The most important thing to remember with this type of cookie is to not overbake these. You want them to just get baked enough....but to remain tender and almost dough-like.

Check out The Novice Chef for the recipe.....and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Holiday Food Blog Hop - A Themed Baker's Sunday - Monday, Mmmm.....Dessert - T' Time - Tea Party Tuesday - Link Party - Tasty Tuesday - Holly Bloggy Christmas - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Link it Up Wednesday - Full Plate Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Fusion Fridays - I'm Lovin' It - Fun Stuff Fridays - Anything Goes Linky - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweets for a Saturday

Christmas Tree Cakepops

2011-12-10T16:58:00.001-08:00

Here's another cakepop from Christmas last year. Little red velvet Christmas trees. So cute! I really liked these.....although they do take a little work. Of course I first saw these on Bakerella (the goddess of cakepops), and although mine look a little chunkier than her trees, I don't think they're half bad.

For instructions, as well as a list of needed supplies, check out Bakerella.....and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Holiday Food Blog Hop - A Themed Baker's Sunday - Monday, Mmmm.....Dessert - T' Time - Tea Party Tuesday - Link Party - Tasty Tuesday - Holly Bloggy Christmas - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Link it Up Wednesday - Full Plate Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Fusion Fridays - I'm Lovin' It - Fun Stuff Fridays - Anything Goes Linky - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Christmas Traditions Linkup

The Search for the Ultimate Fudge Recipe

2011-12-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

I missed out on last month's Crazy Cooking Challenge, so I wanted to be sure to get in on this month's. Tina, over at Moms Crazy Cooking, has selected Fudge this time around.

To be honest, I've never been a huge fudge person.....the last time I really indulged in any was several years ago while on Mackinac Island (in Michigan's U.P.).....the fudge there was fantastic! Since I've never really been a fudge person, I've never attempted to make it, so this was a first.

I decided to go with a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge that I saw over at Bake at 350. I mean, come on......chocolate chip cookie dough fudge.......really?

This wasn't too hard to do.....the only requirement is that you use a candy thermometer so that you can judge when you get to soft ball stage. My mixture took a while to get to 242 degrees.......be patient....it will get there.

I brought this to our Thanksgiving, and it was a hit! I'm intrigued now.....I might have to try another fudge recipe for Christmas :)

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH FUDGE
Source: Bake at 350

oil for pan
1 3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon corn syrup
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
candy thermometer

Oil an 8x8" pan.

Bring the sugar, dark brown sugar, cream, milk, corn syrup, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Bring to a boil, continue boiling to 242 degrees, stirring frequently.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the butter, vanilla, and flour.

Pour the syrup into a 9x13 inch pan and let sit until temperature reaches 110 degrees, about 20 minutes.

Scrape the syrup into the bowl of a standing mixer. (This may take a little muscle.)

Beat on medium speed (with paddle attachment) until fudge thickens and holds its shape (about 3 to 5 minutes). Spread into the prepared 8x8" pan and use an offset spatula to even out.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips of top, pressing gently into the fudge to hold the chips.

Let the fudge cool and set, at least 2 hours.

Store in the fridge.

Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
These Chicks Cooked - Bake With Bizzy - Turning the Table Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Fusion Fridays - Anything Goes Linky - I'm Lovin' It - Fun Stuff Fridays - Seasonal Inspiration - Friday Food - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Holiday Food Blog Hop - A Themed Baker's Sunday - Monday, Mmmm.....Dessert - T' Time - Tea Party Tuesday - Link Party - Tasty Tuesday - Holly Bloggy Christmas - Crazy Sweet Tuesday

Oreo Truffles

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again.......time to make lots of goodies to take to all your friends and family! One thing that I was introduced to last year, and will be making tons of this year......Oreo Truffles!!

I know that I'm totally not original in this, and you've probably already seen this all over blogland or Pinterest. But just in case......if you haven't tried these yet, you have nooooo idea what an amazing thing you are missing!

These couldn't be easier! And to those who say they aren't bakers......guess what? No baking required!

The original recipe for these comes from Kraft. I use my food processor to make this super fast, but if you want to do this by hand, it'll just take a little more muscle, and you won't get quite as smooth of a center. I like the smooth center better than having chunks of cookie.....but it's up to you! You're only going to need a few ingredients:

OREO TRUFFLES
1 (16.6 oz.) package of Oreos
1 (8 oz.) block of cream cheese, softened
candy melts (I use white candy melts)
sprinkles

Place all of the Oreos into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the cookies have all been finely ground. Add the cream cheese to the food processor and continue to pulse until well blended with the cookies.

Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out a small ball of the Oreo mixture and roll in your hands until it forms a ball. Place and a sheet pan lined with wax paper or parchment paper. Continue until all of the Oreo mixture has been rolled into balls. Place in refrigerator until firm.

Melt candy melts in the microwave, and one by one, dip the Oreo balls into the candy melts. Scoop out the ball using a fork and shake off the excess before sliding back onto the sheet pan. Immediately top with sprinkles before the candy melts start to harden. Continue until all balls have been covered.

Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. I like to serve them in mini cupcake liners......just makes a nicer presentation than throwing them on a plate.

Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
This Week's Cravings - Monday, Mmmm....Dessert - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - T' Time - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Bake With Bizzy - Turning the Table Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Fusion Fridays - Anything Goes Linky - I'm Lovin' It - Fun Stuff Fridays - Seasonal Inspiration - Friday Food - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Holiday Food Blog Hop - A Themed Baker's Sunday

Oreo Snowmen Pops

2011-12-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Ready for another Oreo pop? After the success of my Halloween and Thanksgiving Oreo pops, I decided to stick with Oreo pops (instead of cakepops) for Christmas as well. This time around we've got Oreo snowmen!

I'd seen a picture of some Oreo pop snowmen on Pinterest (from The Idea Room) and tried following their instructions. However, they used mini chocolate chips for the eyes and mouth of the snowman. When I tried this, it just didn't look right to me, so I decided to go with candy melts instead. I still had some black and orange candy melts left from Halloween, so I melted them and put it in squeeze bottles. I was able to get perfect little black dots for the eyes and mouths, and made a little orange squiggle for the carrot nose. Once I figured out how I was going to do these, they were super fast to finish. Still need an Oreo pop tutorial? Check out How Does She? for a step-by-step.

Packed up and ready to go to our first Christmas party tonight.

Have fun! Enjoy!

This post is linked to:

Rudolph Cakepops

2011-12-03T07:38:00.001-08:00

These are some adorable reindeer cakepops that I made last year for my son's preschool class. As far as cakepops go, these didn't take too long, and aren't too tricky. You definitely want to get the pretzels into the cakepop before the chocolate starts hardening, or else you're going to get cracks in it. I found some star shaped pretzels at World Market, and I used the ones that were a little mis-shapen for the antlers. For a nose I went with red hots, although you could also use red or brown M&Ms.

Check out Bakerella for instructions on these cakepops, as well as other Christmas cakepops.

Have fun.....and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - A Themed Baker's Sunday - This Week's Cravings - Monday, Mmmm....Dessert - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - T' Time - Link Party - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Bake With Bizzy - Turning the Table Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - 12 Days of Christmas Goodies - Fusion Fridays - Anything Goes Linky - I'm Lovin' It - Fun Stuff Fridays

Apple Pie

2011-11-30T14:03:00.001-08:00

This is another dessert that I brought to our Thanksgiving celebration this year. When I make apple pie, I usually make a streusel-topped version, but this time I decided to try something different. I ended up going with the Double Two-Apple Pie recipe from the Flour cookbook, by Joanne Chang. As I've said before....I'm not a pie-crust-making person.....at least not yet......maybe 2012 will be the year that I conquer my fear of pie crust. Instead, I used the pie crusts that Trader Joe's have in their freezer section.....they absolutely tast homemade to me!

I also didn't follow the recipe's directions on making a lattice-top for the pie. I had been seeing a beautiful leaf-topped pie all over Pinterest, and decided I wanted to try that with my little cutters I got from Williams-Sonoma. I busted out my little leaf cookie cutter and cut out about a million leaves and placed them over the top of the apples with a little water to help hold them together. I finished with an egg wash and a sprinkle of sugar. Here's a shot of the pie before it went into the oven.....

DOUBLE TWO-APPLE PIE

Adapted from: Joanne Chang, Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe

1 box store-bought pie crust (2-pack) or your favorite recipe of Pate Brisee (you may need more than one pie crust for the leaves, depending on the cutout size)

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick

2 medium Macintosh or Rome apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of ground cinnamon

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons sanding sugar, pearl sugar, or granulated sugar

Roll out one of the pie crusts to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Gently press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pie pan, leaving a small lip at the edge of the pan. Place the pie shell in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line the pie shell with parchment paper and fill the shell with pie weights or dried beans, and blind bake for about 30 minutes, until shell is a light brown.

In a medium bowl, combine the apples, brown sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon, toss until the apples are coated evenly. Let this sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes so that the apples soften (allows you to pack more of them into the pie).

When the pie shell is done baking, remove it from the oven, and take out the pie weights and parchment paper. Pile the apples into the shell, pressing them down to fit more in.

Roll out the other pie crust and using a leaf cookie cutter, start cutting out leaf shapes, as many as you can. When you have cut all of the shapes out, start attaching them to the outer edge of the crust, dipping your finger in water as you go to help adhere them to the crust. Continue attaching the leaf cut-outs, moving in concentric circles toward the middle of the pie. Make sure that you leave small gaps here and there to let the steam escape.

Brush the top of the crust with the beaten egg, and then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, or until the pie is golden brown. The apples should be soft and easy to piece with a small knife. Let cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The pie can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:

Oatmeal Milky Way Brownie Bars

2011-11-28T17:09:00.001-08:00

Brownies are one of my favorite treats ever.......I rarely meet a brownie I don't like.....so I'm always open to trying a new twist on them. So here is the Oatmeal Milky Way Brownie Bar, from I Am Baker. Since everything she makes is pretty awesome, I was pretty certain this one would come out great.....so certain, in fact, that I brought this to our Thanksgiving celebration.

An oatmeal/brownie bar with a thick layer of melted caramels and Milky Way bars in the middle....how can you go wrong? The only problem with making them for a holiday party? These are one of those desserts that might not necessarily stand out, look-wise, on a dessert table.....so I dressed them up with the cupcake wrappers (which also helps them to not stick together). Maybe you could also add a little dusting a powdered sugar for a little extra something. But once you pick up one of these bad boys and take a taste....yum......so good!

Check out I Am Baker for the recipe.....and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - T'Time - These Chicks Cooked - Link it up Wednesday - Bake with Bizzy - Turning the Table Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Anything Goes Linky - I'm Lovin' It - Fusion Fridays - Fun Stuff Fridays - Sweets for a Saturday - Friday Food - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmm....Dessert

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T21:04:00.001-08:00

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Our family had a terrific day down in Newport Beach with our extended family (all 38 of us!).

I love these little monkeys!

The boys couldn't have had more fun.....although a fun day was pretty much guaranteed for them since there were 16 other kids to run around with (or do the trampoline with, which they did all day long). Our sister-in-law did an amazing job with the tables, as usual, in spite of the fact that she had to move the tables inside because of the threat of rain (it ended up being a beautiful day).

My job this year, as usual, was to bring desserts......so I brought a bunch! This year I brought a Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake, an Apple Pie, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge, Oatmeal Milky Way Brownies, Graham Cracker Toffee Bark, and Oreo Turkey Pops.

The Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake is another recipe that I've had in my arsenal for a number of years, courtesy of Martha Stewart. It's a great dessert to make for something like Thanksgiving, since you don't need a large slice of it....it is rich! The only change I made this time around was in the crust.....instead of using graham cracker crumbs I used an equal amount of gingersnap crumbs.....just to give it an extra little zing. I did notice that the flavor developed more when this got a chance to sit for a day or two, so it's a perfect make-ahead dessert!

BOURBON PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

Source: Martha Stewart

For crust:

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (or gingersnap crumbs)

1/2 cup pecans (1 3/4 oz.), finely chopped

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For filling:

1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin

3 large eggs

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon bourbon liqueur or bourbon (optional)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

For topping:

2 cups sour cream (20 oz.)

2 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon bourbon liqueur or bourbon (optional)

Garnish: Pecan halves

Make crust:

Invert bottom of a 9-inch springform pan (to create a flat bottom, which will make it easier to remove cake from pan), then lock on side and butter pan.

Stir together crumbs, pecans, sugars, and butter in a bowl until combined well. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1/2 inch up side of pan, then chill crust 1 hour.

Make filling and bake cheesecake:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350.

Whisk together pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cream, vanilla, and liqueur (if using) in a bowl until combined.

Stir together granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in a large bowl. Add cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, then add pumpkin mixture and beat until smooth.

Pour filling into crust, smoothing top, then put springform pan in a shallow baking pan (in case springform leaks). Bake until center is just set, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool 5 minutes. Leave oven on.

Make topping:

Whisk together sour cream, sugar, and liqueur (if using) in a bowl, then spread on top of cheesecake and bake 5 minutes.

Cool cheesecake completely in pan on rack, about 3 hours.

Chill, covered, until cold, at least 4 hours. Remove side of pan and bring to room temperature before serving.

Note: Baked cheesecake can be chilled, covered, up to 2 days.

Enjoy!

This post is linked to:

Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmm.....Dessert! - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - These Chicks Cooked - Link it up Wednesday - Bake with Bizzy - Turning the Table Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Anything Goes Linky - I'm Lovin' It - Fusion Fridays

My Pumpkin Pie

2011-11-20T18:25:00.001-08:00

I know everyone has been sharing their pumpkin pie recipes this month.....so I figured it was time to share mine! I've been making this pie for about 10 years now, and although I occasionally will stray and try different recipes (last year was Dorie Greenspan's Caramel Pumpkin Pie), I always come back to this one.

This recipe is basically Martha Stewart's pumpkin pie recipe.....with one change that was a fortunate mistake I made way back when. You see, the ingredient list for the pie included heavy cream. If you actually read through the directions, the heavy cream was to make whipped cream to top the pie with. However, because all of the other ingredients in the pie just get dumped into a bowl and whisked together, I happened to include the heavy cream as well. As soon as I had realized what I had done I was thinking of dumping out the bowl and starting over. When I realized I didn't have any other cans of pumpkin, I decided to give this one a try.

I'm soooo glad I did, because I've made it this way ever since! The heavy cream helps the pie get a sort of custard-y lightness and texture, as opposed to the denseness that some pumpkin pies get. It may take just a bit longer to bake, because of the extra liquid. The hubby absolutely loves this one.......I have to keep him from eating the whole thing!

Oh, and one last thing......I usually use a pie plate that doesn't have fluted edges like this one does, so that I can decorate the crust. Since I couldn't decorate the crust this time I decided to separately bake some pie crust cutouts (the cutters are from Williams-Sonoma), and then add them to the pie after it had come out of the oven. It's up to you whether you make your own pie crust, or use a store-bought. I used one from Trader Joe's this time (they're in the freezer section), and it was definitely the best store-bought crust I've ever tasted!

PUMPKIN PIE
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 10-inch pie crust
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Fit the pie crust into pie pan; create the edge of your choice. Using a fork, prick the dough all over. Transfer to the freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.

Add pumpkin to a large bowl. Add the sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, eggs, evaporated milk, and heavy cream, and whisk until well combined; set aside.

Cut a circle of parchment paper or aluminum foil, and fit into the pie shell, extending above the edges. Fill with dried beans, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove parchment and beans, and bake 5 minutes more. Remove pie crust from the oven.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Pour the filling into the pie crust. Return the pie to the oven to bake until all but the center is set, about 50 minutes to an hour. If the crust gets too dark, cover the edges with foil. The filling will be slightly loose in the center but will firm up as it cools. Place on a wire rack until completely cool. Transfer to the refrigerator until well chilled, about 2 hours or overnight. Serve the chilled pie with whipped cream.

Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:
A Themed Baker's Sunday - Monday, Mmm....Dessert - Tea Party Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - T' Time - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Full Plate Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - Sweet Treats Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Anything Goes Linky - Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - This Week's Cravings

Oreo Turkeys 2011

2011-11-20T18:13:00.001-08:00

This past week I've posted some of the turkeys that I made for Thanksgiving last year, the turkey cakepops, and the Oreo turkeys. I didn't feel like doing repeats this year, so I came up with a compromise and did Oreo turkey pops.

If you still need a primer on how to do Oreo pops, hop on over to How Does She?, and they'll give you all the basics.

To put these gobblers together you'll need:

Double Stuff Oreos
Mini Oreos
Harvest candy corn (or regular candy corn)
orange chips from a pack of Rainbow Candy Coated Chips
royal icing eyes (whatever size you want)
mini heart sprinkles
lollipop sticks
milk chocolate candy melts
dark chocolate candy melts
styrofoam blocks to place the pops in

First off, you're going to make the heads of these cute little guys. Melt the milk chocolate candy melts in a microwave safe bowl. Take a mini Oreo and dunk it in the melted chocolate and use a fork to scoop it out and shake off the excess. Slide the mini Oreo off of the fork and onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper.

Add on the royal icing eyes, the orange chip for the beak, and the heart sprinkle turned upside down for the waddle.

Let the turkey heads cool and firm up as you move on to the body of the turkey (and the pop part).

Melt the dark chocolate candy melts in a microwave safe dish. Line up your double stuff Oreos on a wax paper lined cookie sheets and separate the sides of the Oreos. Take the end of a lollipop stick and dip about 1/2 inch to 1 inch in the melted chocolate then press down into the frosting of the Oreo. Place the other half of the cookie back on top.

Once the chocolate inside the Oreo has cooled, dip the entire Oreo into the melted chocolate and gently shake off any excess. Place the pop on the wax paper, and then carefully place one of the turkey heads in the middle of it. Let cool and harden.

To add the candy corn feathers onto your turkeys, you'll want your dark chocolate candy melted but on the cool side, so that it will harden faster. If the candy melts are rather warm, let it cool off a bit before proceeding. Place a few of the pops in the styrofoam block, so that the pops are standing upright. Break off the tip of the candy corn, so that there is a flat surface for them to stick to, and the dip the candy corn partially in the melted chocolate. Place the candy corn on the top of the turkey in the groove where the frosting of the Oreo is, and hold till it begins to set. If you do this when the candy melts are melted but not warm this will happen much faster. Keep going till you're done. I only did three candy corns per turkey because I am not patient. If you are, then I think that five candy corns would look adorable!

Then all you'll need to do is pack these bad boys up! I always bag them individually and then place in a basket, since we travel to our Thanksgiving celebration.

Have fun, have a very Happy Thanksgiving, and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Tea Party Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - T' Time - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Full Plate Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - Sweet Treats Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Anything Goes Linky - Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmm.....Dessert!

Pumpkin Tea Cake

2011-11-16T08:20:00.001-08:00

I've got a new favorite pumpkin bread! I had just had one of those days last week, where it felt like nothing was going right, and the boys just seemed to be at eachother's throats for one reason or another. I needed one of those "Calgon take me away!" momements, but since locking myself in the bathroom to take a nice bath would have resulted in the boys starting a wrestling war or beating on eachother with lightsabers, I decided I just needed some time in the kitchen. Now, what to make........

Tartine to the rescue! I had gotten the Tartine cookbook a little while ago, and just hadn't had the chance to make anything from it yet (my cookbook collection might be getting a little too big, but shhhh.....don't tell the hubby). It's a great book just to flip through, love the pictures, and there are tons of recipes in there that I absolutely intend to try at some point.

This Pumpkin Tea Cake caught my eye, since I love just about anything pumpkin, and a quickbread recipe was all I really had time for since I could hear the boys fighting over who got what cars in the next room. This recipe could not be easier to put together....and the response from the hubby and everyone else who tried a piece was that it was a hit! There was an optional topping of pepitas that I didn't include.....I just wanted a simple pumpkin cake....but the little crunchy crust on top that the sugar topping provides is fantastic! And all the spices in the cake (it may seem like a lot, just go with it), gives this cake a lovely, not too sweet taste, one that is great in the morning, or the afternoon with your tea (or coffee). This cake also kept great.....three days later it was still fantastic.

Suddenly the day didn't seem so bad......the world was all rainbows and unicorns again, and the boys were all smiles. Ahhhh.....the magic of baked goods!

Click here for the recipe......and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Anything Goes Linky - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Thanksgiving Traditions - Show Off Your Stuff - Fusion Fridays - Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Food - Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - A Themed Baker's Sunday - Monday, Mmm....Dessert - Tea Party Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - T' Time - Crazy Sweet Tuesday

Club: Baked - Buckeyes

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

This round of Club: Baked was selected by Karen over at Karen's Cookies Cakes and More, and she selected Buckeyes. Buckeyes are a peanut butter ball, that when dipped in chocolate, is said to resemble a horse chestnut (a Buckeye tree).

I had to admit that my Buckeyes are not true Buckeyes. You see, the hubby is just not a lover of peanut butter and chocolate together (yeah, he's one of those people). He loves peanut butter, and he loves chocolate, but together, he's just not a fan. I actually considered not making these for a minute, since I didn't want to end up eating all of these myself....and then I remembered.....

I had a jar of Biscoff spread in the pantry!! You know what Biscoffs taste like right? Kind of a combination of gingersnaps and a cinnamon graham cracker......super delicious! It pretty much has the same consistency as peanut butter....why not give it a try?

You know what? They're pretty darn yummy! You definitely get that delicious Biscoff taste coming through....and it tastes delicious with the chocolate coating.

I think the trickiest part of these is dipping them in the chocolate and leaving a part of the inside exposed. I'm so used to making cakeballs and truffles, that I wouldn't even be thinking and start coating the whole thing. Oops!

Give these a try for a holiday party....the recipe will make a ton of them! I did a 1/2 recipe, and still ended up with about 30 of them!

Go to Club: Baked to check out the other baker's results.....and check out Karen's Cookies Cakes and More for the recipe......and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Tasty Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - Tea Party Tuesday - Anything Goes Linky - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Fusion Fridays - Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Food - Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmm....Dessert

Turkey Cakepops

2011-11-13T07:49:00.001-08:00

Aren't these little turkeys cute? I made these for last year's Thanksgiving, along with the Oreo Turkeys I posted earlier this week.

With so many kiddos at our Thanksgiving celebration (at last count there are 18 kiddos in our family celebration), I'm always trying to think of things that the kiddos will have fun eating. I may have been overthinking this a little bit, but I ended up using a white cake mix with vanilla frosting for these cakepops, instead of my usual red velvet and cream cheese frosting. I just wasn't sure the reaction I'd get if you bit into a turkey cakepop and it was red inside.....that seemed like it might be a little gross?

I sure do love the look of these guys....but I gotta say.....doing a project like this is time consuming!! You definitely need to give yourself some time to put this together.....baking the cake, cooling the cake, crumbling the cake, mixing with frosting, rolling into balls, chilling the cakeballs, dipping into chocolate, then decorating and bagging.

To pack them up to take somewhere, I always use my trusty basket. I put a couple of styrofoam blocks on the bottom, cover it with basket filler (that shredded paper stuff), and just start poking the turkeys in there. Cakepops are definitely always a hit when you bring them somewhere, not to mention they are pretty cute decorations.

Check out Bakerella for all your cakepop tutorials......be creative....and Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:
Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Sharing Sundays - Monday, Mmmmm.....Dessert - Tea Party Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Anything Goes Linky - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Pin'Inspiration Party - Thanksgiving Traditions - Show Off Your Stuff - Fusion Fridays - Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Food - Fun Stuff Fridays - Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - A Themed Baker's Sunday

Oreo Marshmallow Bars

2011-11-11T18:12:00.001-08:00

Time for another recipe from Pinterest!! Yep, Pinterest is definitely a dangerous place......I think the biggest board that I have is for food.....and most of it is sweet stuff.....my weakness in life. Here's my Pinterest boards.

This was one of those "why didn't I ever think of that" kind of recipes.......so easy......essentially rice krispy treats, substituting the rice krispies with crushed Oreos. The darkness of your bars depends on how much you crush your cookies. The more crushed they are, the more chocolately they'll look.......leave them more chunky and you'll get more of a cookies and cream look to the bars.

Check out Picky Palate for the recipe......and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Seasonal Inspiration - Monday, Mmmmm.....Dessert - Tea Party Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Anything Goes Linky - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Fusion Fridays - Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Food

Oreo Turkeys

2011-11-09T08:40:00.000-08:00

Do you know what you're making for Thanksgiving yet? We go to my brother-in-law's in Newport Beach every year, and I'm the dessert-bringer (big surprise, right?). We've got a huge crowd there, so there's always tons of food. I think I ended up bringing five different things last year.

One of the things I made last year were these Oreo and candy turkeys to use as placecards for the kid's table (there are around 18 kids at our Thanksgiving). I made little toothpick flags with the kids' names and poked that into the chocolate and placed them at the table. Because I made these pretty late the night before Thanksgiving, I wasn't too concerned with making all the details perfect (Ugh, those feet!).....but you know what? The kids loved them! Oreos and candy glued together with chocolate? What's not to love?

Do you want to give these a try? Go to Our Best Bites for a fantastic step-by-step of how to put these together......Enjoy!

Now pardon me while I go try to figure out what I'm bring this year.......

This post is linked to:
These Chicks Cooked - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Sweet Tooth Friday - I'm Lovin' It - Anything Goes Linky - Friday Favorites - Fusion Fridays - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Seasonal Inspiration - Sharing Sundays - Monday, Mmmmm.....Dessert - Tea Party Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Thanksgiving Traditions - Link It Up Wednesday - A Themed Baker's Sunday

Fall is Here!

2011-11-08T08:24:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy! It's finally Fall around here! Even when it's sunny, it's still cool enough to wear pants and long sleeves....I love it! This is my favorite time of the year......that is, except for the time change. I don't mind that it gets dark so early now (it just means the kids are in bed earlier)......but I do mind the fact that since the time change, the kiddos have been waking up at 5:15 on the dot. How the heck do they have the internal clock to know that it's 5:15 every morning.....I just don't get it. And no, it doesn't matter if we put them to bed later.....they are still up at the crack of dawn (or before dawn). Mommy needs lots of caffeine on mornings like these.

Since I love all things about Fall.....I had to try this Roasted Autumn Panzanella Salad from How Sweet It Is. Roasted butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and apples......tossed with arugula, pomegranate, and toasted bread. Fantastic tasting......and healthy.....I love it! The hubby's only complaint was that when I dished out the salad I seemed to give him way more of the roasted veggies and bread, so his was a little more carb heavy. So, just make sure that each serving has enough greens to balance out the carbs.

Check out How Sweet It Is for the recipe......and Enjoy!

P.S. - I decided to channel my inner Martha (Stewart), and make some glitter pumpkins that I had seen her do a couple of years ago. What do you think?

I just painted glue onto some small pumpkins I had left over from Halloween.....and then doused them in Martha's amazing glitter (available at Michael's). Shake off the excess and let dry. I love how they look on my mantel!

This post is linked to:
Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Full Plate Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - I'm Lovin' It - Anything Goes Linky - Friday Favorites - Fusion Fridays - Seasonal Inspiration

Graham Cracker Toffee Bark

2011-11-07T12:17:00.000-08:00

Do you ever find yourself in the kitchen, just itching to make something? It happens to me a lot......but this time I was stuck at home with a grumpy 2 1/2 year old with a cold. I needed something sweet to cheer us up! But, I didn't want to go to the store for anything, so I had to make something with what I had.

I have seen a ton of recipes over the years for saltine toffee bars.....and I figured I should give them a try. Only problem.....I didn't have any saltines! Luckily, I found that there were also a ton of similar recipes out there using graham crackers instead. Alrighty then......let's do this!!

It seems as though this recipe has been around for a long time.....people were mentioning that their moms and gramdmas made this. Well, I had never had it before.....but now that I've made it, it's going to be sticking with me! Graham crackers that soak in a toffee-ish syrup....covered in chocolate and then sprinkled with nuts.....yum!

While my sick little guy was being distracted by a Team Umizoomi episode, I was able to quickly threw this together. It's not even one that requires your undivided attention for long.....just a little bit on the stovetop.....it would be a great recipe to have the kids help you with (except for a sick 2 1/2 year old with a very runny nose ;).

You can easily change up this recipe to use whatever you've got in the house. For my chocolate layer, I used a combination of semi-sweet chocolate chips and milk chocolate. I topped mine with chopped pecans....simply because that's what I had. I think any nut would be fantastic on top of these.....or how about some crushed candy cane for the holidays?

CHOCOLATE GRAHAM CRACKER TOFFEE BARK
from About.com Home Cooking

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 box (about) graham crackers (not crumbs)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan, or a cookie sheet with a large lip with non-stick foil. Lay out your graham crackers on the pan in a single layer, side by side, filling the entire pan. Be sure to fit any spaces with a piece of a graham cracker.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the sugars and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the mixture bubble gently for 4 more minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour the mixture over the graham crackers in the pan. Spread the mixture so that it covers the graham crackers evenly. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and let it rest until the bubbling subsides (this will take only a minute or two). Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the graham crackers and let it sit for a minute or two (so that the chocolate starts to melt). Spread the chocolate so that it forms an even layer over the graham crackers, then top by sprinkling the chopped nuts evenly over the chocolate. You may want to gently press the nuts into the melted chocolate, so that the nuts stick better when the chocolate firms.

Let the pan come to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours until very firm. Peel the foil from the back and break into pieces. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Monday, Mmm....Dessert - Tea Party Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - T' Time - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Bake with Bizzy - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Sweet Tooth Friday - I'm Lovin' It - Anything Goes Linky - Friday Favorites - Fusion Fridays - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Seasonal Inspiration

Glazed Doughnut Muffins

2011-11-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

The taste of a glazed doughnut in muffin form (baked, not fried)? Super delicious without all the guilt (ok, maybe a little guilt, just not as much as a doughnut)? Sign me up!!

Look at these Glazed Doughnut Muffins from My Baking Addiction......they are so easy to throw together......and when they come out of the oven, the get a lovely sugary glaze-y bath. Yum!

Check out My Baking Addiction for the recipe......and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:

A Thing of Beauty

2011-11-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

Seriously......is that not the most gorgeous box of cookies you have ever seen?

I was the lucky recipient of this incredible box of macarons a couple of weeks ago......you should have seen the ridiculously huge smile on my face when I opened the box!! These bad boys are from Bottega Louie (in downtown Los Angeles).....and I can't even begin to tell you how much trouble I'd be in if they were just a bit closer (downtown is about 45 minutes away from me, on a good day).

Not only were these possibly the tastiest macarons I've ever had (even tastier than 'lette macarons in Beverly Hills), but I've never seen them with such a crazily intense color palette.....it's like a rainbow in a box! And they came in a beautiful pink box tied up with a ribbon....I think they would make the cutest hostess gifts!

Two of my favorites....the light orange one in the middle.....hello, pumpkin!! And the brown one up in the corner that I assumed would be a plain chocolate one......chocolate with salted caramel.....delicious!!

Many many thanks to Rachel for introducing me to this awesome shop....you'd better believe that any time I'm anywhere near there I will be making a stop!

Club: Baked - Caramel Apple Cupcakes

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

The latest round at Club: Baked was selected by Melissa at Lulu the Baker, and she chose the Caramel Apple Cake that I've had my eye on since I got this cookbook.

The cake pictured in the cookbook is a thing a beauty......a lovely three layer cake with a nice smooth frosting coat, and a perfect spiderweb of caramel sauce on top. Well.....I once again decided to make cupcakes....I think it's just my thing......a cake is just too big of a commitment!

I decided to halve the cake recipe, and I ended up with about 15 cupcakes. Instead of making homemade applesauce to the cupcakes, I used the Chunky Spiced Applesauce from Trader Joe's, and it was perfect for this. Every few bites you'd get a bit of apple.....delish!

I didn't halve the caramel sauce or the frosting recipes.....because really, there's never too much caramel sauce, and I actually used almost all of the frosting decorating the cupcakes. This frosting is a dream.......so amazingly smooth and creamy........the trick is to beat it for a long time.......much longer than you would think of mixing it for.....but trust me.....you will have a hard time stopping yourself from eating it from the bowl (not that I would do something like that!).

The caramel sauce was the only thing I had a problem on in this recipe. It called for you to bring it up to a rich amber color or to 300 degrees on your candy thermometer. Well, I went with the thermometer, and when I took it off the heat, it wasn't as deeply colored as I would have liked. It still tasted great, but it would have been a richer flavor if it had gotten a little more color.

All in all, this is another keeper from those boys at Baked......love them!! And I think this will be my new go-to frosting......I truly loved it.

Go to Lulu the Baker for the recipe, and go to Club: Baked to check out the other bakers' results........Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Tuesday Talent Show - Tea Party Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - T' Time - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - Bake with Bizzy - Sweet Treats Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - Fusion Friday - Anything Goes Linky - I'm Lovin' It - Friday Food - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmmm....Dessert

Coffee Cake Cookies

2011-10-30T07:27:00.000-07:00

Have you ever made cookies to be served in the morning? No? Me neither.....well, except for my Pumpkin Cranberry Oat Cookies. But when I saw this recipe for Coffee Cake Cookies from Bakers Royale. I first saw the cookies on Pinterest and immediately pinned it.....what a great idea!! And reading through the recipe......they have browned butter in them!! Sold!! I am truly obsessed with any recipe that has browned butter these days......so yummy......and so Fall-y to me!

Looking back at the pictures of this on Pinterest......I don't think I pressed down my streusel topping down into the cookie as much as the originals had.....but they were so good.....I don't think it mattered. They really stay nice and cake-y......they don't get crispy like a cookie. I took these to a friend's house for a party, and they were a hit!

Check out Bakers Royale for the recipe......and Enjoy!!

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Man Food - Bacon Wrapped Brats

2011-10-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

Seriously? Bacon wrapped around a bratwurst? The hubby's eye started bulging out of his head when he saw this one.....and I think he might have started drooling too. What a simple way to amp up a casual little BBQ (around here we BBQ all year!). Forget hamburgers and hot dogs.....these are pretty much just as easy (you just have to wrap the bacon around the brat, securing with toothpicks), but man oh man.......you will make everyone sooooo happy!

We served these on some french bread buns loaded with spicy mustard and sauteed onions and pepper. Delicious!! So delicious, in fact, that I completely forgot to take a picture of the finished project. Oops!! Just picture it in your mind, and then run to the store and make this as soon as you can......you will make the men in your life very, very happy! Oh, and my one word of advice........remember to remove the toothpicks before eating!

Check out Two Peas and their Pod for the recipe.....and Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:

Fusion Fridays - Fat Camp Friday - I'm Lovin' It - Friday Favorites - Anything Goes Linky - Friday Food - Tuesday Talent Show - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - Full Plate Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

2011-10-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

It's almost Halloween!! Our oldest son is asking us every day how many more days until Halloween. I think he's waiting for the candy windfall that's bound to happen.......which reminds me.....I have completely forgotten to buy any candy for our house yet.......ack!! I better get on that before the only thing that's left is Tootsie Rolls and Smarties......the two candies that I really really don't like!

Since we're not allowed to bring in any homemade treats to our son's Kindergarten class (don't even get me started), I'm making up for it by bringing a ton of things to my younger son's preschool class. These white chocolate covered pretzels are so easy to throw together.......you can really use any type of sprinkles on them........they're even great covered in mini M&Ms (I wish I had Halloween colored ones, but I didn't). I found cute little sugar pumpkins at my local baking supply store.....all of the other sprinkles were from Target. Michaels carries the cute little pretzel rod bags, so that you treats can be neatly bagged up. I love these treats.....a perfect combination of sweet and salty!!

To make these guys you'll need:

pretzel rods

white candy melts or white chocolate

sprinkles (any kind will work)

additional colors of candy melts (if you want to drizzle some over the top of the sprinkles)

wax paper

Melt the white candy melts in a microwave safe bowl. Once they have melted, transfer to a tall narrow glass (careful when pouring!). Dip a pretzel rod as far as you can into the melted candy melts and shake off the excess. Lay down on the wax paper and add on whatever sprinkles or decorations you want to use. If you're putting on mini M&Ms you may want to wait a second before adding them on.....since they're so much heavier than the sprinkles they have a tendency to slide off the sides.....waiting a minute will allow the surface to get a little tackier so that they can stick better. If you want to drizzle an additional color over the top of these, melt the other color and then place in a ziploc bag. Snip off a little bit off of the corner of the bag, and drizzle.

Once completely dry, place into bags and tie with ribbon or string......Enjoy!

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Frankencrispies

2011-10-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

Say Hello to my new little friend! I call him Frankencrispy....and I think he's adorable!

I saw these Frankenstein Rice Krispy Treats Pops over at Pop.O.Licious. They had made them as pops....but when I tried to do that I had a little trouble. Once I got the green candy melt coating on these guys they got so heavy that they pulled right off of the stick......so instead they became little hand held guys.

To make these guys you'll need:

green candy melts
black or brown jimmy sprinkles
candy eyes
black food marker

Melt the green candy sprinkles, and while still wet, dip the top of the head in the jimmies and lay on it's back on wax paper. Sprinkle a few more jimmies on the front of the head. Add the candy eyes (to make the eyelids you'll kind of scrape the eyes into the candy coating as you're putting the eyes into place). Let dry completely. Once dry, use a black food marker to draw on the mouth and a scar. Or, if you have black candy melts, you could melt those down and pipe on a mouth and scar.

Have fun with these......and remember, they're monsters....they don't have to look perfect!!

Packed up and ready to go!

This post is linked to:
Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmm...Dessert - Tasty Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - T' Time - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - This Week's Cravings - It's a Keeper Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - Show Off Your Stuff - Pin'Inspirational Thursday - Fusion Fridays - Fat Camp Friday - I'm Lovin' It - Friday Favorites - Friday Food - Sweet Tooth Friday - Anything Goes Linky - Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - Halloween Traditions Link up

Spiderweb Cupcakes

2011-10-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

So I can't decide.....do my white chocolate spiderwebs actually look like spiderwebs, or do they look like snowflakes? I'm leaning towards spiderwebs, but I think they could probably pass for snowflakes too.....

These are the cupcakes that I brought to our neighborhood Halloween party. I knew that it would be mostly kiddos eating these, so I just went ahead and did a box cake mix of Halloween funfetti. But I knew I wanted to try doing those white chocolate spiderwebs that I had been seeing on Pinterest, so I made some chocolate frosting for the spiderwebs to sit on. The chocolate frosting recipe I used was from Our Best Bites, and it has a great chocolate flavor, without being too intense for the kiddos. The spiderwebs are from Country Living. There's a recipe and a template to print out.....just follow the lines!

One of these days the weather will cool off and it will actually feel like Fall! At least it's a little cooler in the mornings now......but by the afternoon it's still plenty hot. We've been to our local pumpkin patch twice so far (Lombardi Ranch), and both times it's been pretty toasty out there. Going to the pumpkin patch is one of the things I look forward to all year.......the pictures always come out gorgeous, and the kids have an absolute blast! Half the time they completely ignore the pumpkins, and instead want to run in the hay bale mazes, play on the vintage fire truck, and ride the choo-choo.

Pure happiness!

Our big guy is getting so big!

Superheroes!

Jedis!

Check out Our Best Bites for the chocolate frosting recipe, and Country Living for the spiderweb template........and Enjoy!

The kids can spend forever just running through the pumpkins!

This post is linked to:
Show Off Your Stuff - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Anything Goes Linky - Fusion Fridays - I'm Lovin' It - Friday Food - Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - Fat Camp Friday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmm......Dessert - Tasty Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - T' Time - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Bake with Bizzy

Apple Pie Cake

2011-10-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

This is the first month of the Improv Cooking Challenge, started by Sheryl over at The Lady Behind the Curtain. Each month she will give the participants two ingredients, and we're to come up with any recipe we want as long as it includes those two ingredients. For this month, the two ingredients are apples and caramel.

I decided to go with a recipe that I haven't made in years (Apple Pie Cake), and add to it the Caramel Rum sauce that was so amazingly delicious from the Club: Baked challenge a couple weeks ago (Bananas Foster Fritters).

The toughest thing about this recipe is peeling, coring, and slicing all those apples! There are a lot of apples needed for this, and you will get a springform pan packed to the gills with apples! Don't worry, they will cook down a bit. But you may want to make sure you have some people to share this with.....there's a lot to go around! The great thing about this recipe is that the same dough that is used on the bottom is sprinkled on the top....only two bowls to dirty!

I waited until the pie/cake had cooled before drizzling on some of the caramel sauce, but because I hadn't waited for the caramel sauce to completely cool off it kind of soaked into the topping. Had I gotten it completely cooled off before drizzling it on, you would have seen it better in the photo, but trust me, it was still delicious! This sauce was a gigantic hit for our Baked challenge.....caramel and rum go together perfectly.....not to mention it's a piece of cake to throw together! It's easy to throw together because it's not a traditional caramel sauce where you would dissolve your sugar and wait for it to get to the darkness you like......this one is much much easier!

APPLE PIE CAKE
Source: Martha Stewart

2 cups flour

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

5 pounds tart apples, such as Granny Smith (about 12)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Using an electric mixer or a pastry cutter, cut in butter until the mixture forms pea-size pieces. Press two-thirds of the mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up the side of a 9-inch spring form pan.

Preheat oven to 350. Peel the apples, cut into thin slices, and place in a bowl. Pour off any accumulated liquid. Toss the apple slices with the remaining teaspoon cinnamon and the lemon juice, and put them in the prepared pan, pressing down gently as you pack them in (they will mound above the edge of the pan). Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture on top.

Put the pan on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and let the cake cool in the pan to set. Serve at room temperature.

CARAMEL RUM SAUCE
Source: Baked Explorations

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons dark rum
Pinch cinnamon (optional)

Place butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, and stir together until smooth. Add the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a boil. Once a boil is reached, remove from heat and stir in the extract, rum, and cinnamon. Set aside until ready to serve.

This post is linked to:
Show Off Your Stuff - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Anything Goes Linky - Fusion Fridays - I'm Lovin' It - Friday Food - Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - Fat Camp Friday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmm....Dessert - Tea Party Tuesday - Tasty Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - T' Time - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - A Themed Baker's Sunday

Oreo Mummy Pops

2011-10-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

You've probably seen these Oreo Mummy Pops before......they were all over blogland last Halloween. I made them twice last year, and they were such a huge hit, I had to make them again this year! We had our annual neighborhood Halloween party this weekend, so I whipped up a batch to bring. What kid can refuse an Oreo covered in chocolate?? Even my older son, who is a notoriously picky eater (even when it comes to dessert), will devour one of these. I'll be making another batch of these closer to Halloween to pass out at my younger son's preschool class (you have been warned!).......unfortunately I can't bring it to my older son's Kindergarten class......no homemade treats allowed (BOO!).

These treats are really simple to put together......and they come together waaaayyyy faster than cakepops do! For instructions on how to make the Mummy pops, check out How Does She. If you've never made Oreo pops before, and need instructions on the basics of putting them together, they've got a step-by-step guide here.

My little mummies from last year packed up and ready for school!

In case you were wondering.....we all dressed in Star Wars costumes this year (after being super heroes last year)......yes, we are dorks, but it was fun!

Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:
Monday, Mmmm......Dessert - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - T' Time - Turning the Table Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - It's a Keeper - Sweet Treats Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Anything Goes Linky - Fusion Fridays - I'm Lovin' It - Friday Food - Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - Fat Camp Friday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - This Week's Cravings - Halloween Traditions Link Up

Club Baked: Sawdust Pie

2011-10-15T07:30:00.000-07:00

This round of Club: Baked was selected by Tessa over at The Cookin' Chemist, and she picked Sawdust Pie. I had never heard of Sawdust Pie before, but it's basically a Pecan Pie with the addition of coconut and white chocolate.

I decided to throw this together for a last minute BBQ we had last weekend. I had everything on hand, and to make it even easier for me, I used a refrigerated pie crust so that all I had to do was fill it and bake it......easy peasy!! This is a one bowl dessert.....once you get all the main ingredients in, just add in the egg whites and mix till it's all combined. It looked a little strange to me....but those Baked guys haven't let me down yet, so I went with it. I'm glad I did, because it came out beautiful! It smelled wonderful...definitely like a pecan pie, but with that extra little something from the coconut and white chocolate.

The pieces held up beautifully when the pie was cut.......no oozing apart like pecan pies sometimes do. The recipe says to top with either whipped cream or banana slices. We did whipped cream, since that is one of my favorite things on the planet. This pie was a hit with everyone!

For the recipe, go to The Cookin' Chemist, and check out Club: Baked for the other bakers' results......Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:
Fat Camp Friday - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Sharing Sundays - Monday, Mmm....Dessert - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - Turning the Table Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - It's a Keeper - Sweet Treats Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Anything Goes Linky - Fusion Fridays - I'm Lovin' It - Friday Food - Seasonal Inspiration - Tea Party Tuesday

MSCC: Pumpkin Brown Butter Cupcakes

2011-10-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

This is my first month as part of the Martha Stewart Cupcake Club (MSCC). We are baking our way through Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook....although I am totally late to the party......this group has already been around and baking for 2 years.....lucky for me there's a ton of recipes in this book!!

This month's pick was by Monica at My Cupcake Journey, and she picked the Pumpkin Brown Butter Cupcakes with Brown Butter Icing. These cupcakes are fairly dense, but incredibly moist.....and the icing? OH MY.......sooooo good! There is something insanely decadent about this brown butter icing, and it couldn't be any easier to throw together......you don't even need a mixer!

I opted not to include the optional sage in the cupcake batter......since I made some savory pumpkin muffins just a little while ago, I was looking for something purely sweet here. And I learned my lesson with those pumpkin muffins.....the recipe here also called for the batter to be put directly into the pans with no liners, so I listened....and didn't have to deal with my cupcakes sticking all over to the liners. See, I can learn!

For the recipe, go here, and to check out the other bakers' results, go to the Martha Stewart Cupcake Club.....Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:
Fat Camp Friday - Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Sharing Sundays - Monday, Mmmm.....Dessert - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - Turning the Table Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - It's a Keeper - Sweet Treats Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Anything Goes Linky - Fusion Fridays - I'm Lovin' It - Friday Food

Cake Batter Rice Crispy Treats

2011-10-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

What could be simpler or more delicious than good 'ol rice crispy treats? I may love a lot of grown-up desserts, but I could never deny my love for a homemade rice crispy treat! I find that the store made ones (Starbucks included) have a slightly strange taste that the ones that are homemade don't have. Maybe they use margarine instead of butter? I dunno......but if I make a pan of these bad boys, I need to quickly get them out of the house before I find myself eating them all!

Cake batter stuff seems to be all the rage in blogland and all over Pinterest, and with good reason.......it's delicious! I've been seeing lots of people try these Cake Batter Crispy Treats, and it seemed like they were a universal hit. Couldn't be simpler to throw together.....and they were fantastic!

Check out How Sweet It Is for the recipe.....and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Anything Goes Linky - Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - I'm Lovin' It - Sweets for a Saturday - Fat Camp Friday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmm......Dessert - Tuesday Talent Show - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - T' Time - Turning the Table Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - It's a Keeper - Sweet Treats Thursday - Full Plate Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Fusion Fridays - Friday Food

Grandma's Apple Bread

2011-10-10T07:42:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: This isn't my Grandma's apple bread recipe......though I wish it was!

We got a couple of Granny Smith apples in our CSA box that were more than a tad on the tart side. I tried giving one to the boys, and they both wrinkled up their faces after one bite and wouldn't eat anymore. So, I started digging around looking for something yummy to make with them. I found this recipe for Grandma Barb's Apple Bread at A Farmgirl's Dabbles. It's got grated apples, walnuts, and dried cranberries.....yum! This bread is insanely moist and tasty, and is great for breakfast or for an afternoon snack. Plus, the recipe makes two loaves....one for you, and one to give away and make someone else happy!

Check out A Farmgirl's Dabbles for the recipe.......and Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:
Monday, Mmmmm.......Dessert - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - Bake with Bizzy - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Anything Goes Linky - Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - I'm Lovin' It - Sweets for a Saturday - Fat Camp Friday - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Zucchini Lemon Cookies

2011-10-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

Even though it's officially Fall (which makes me so happy!) our weekly CSA box still has a ton of zucchini and other summer squash in it. For last week's batch of zucchini I decided to make these Zucchini Cookies that I had seen on My Baking Addiction a little while back.

These cookies use a full cup of finely grated zucchini, which in my case was about 2 fairly large zucchinis. I made these in a whoopie pie pan that I had completely forgotten that I had. This kept the cookies from spreading out and then turned out super soft and cake-y. With a drizzle of lemon-y glaze on top, these will give you one last taste of summer while you're trying to use up your bounty of zucchinis. The hubby absolutely loved these! I had him take a bunch to work, and I'm pretty sure he ended up eating all of them and not sharing.....not that I blame him.....

Oh, one last thing.....the recipe calls for raisins......I left the raisins out of my cookies.....I think I've mentioned before my intense dislike of raisins....I will avoid them at any cost!

Check out My Baking Addiction for the recipe.....and Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:
Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmm......Dessert - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - Bake with Bizzy - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Anything Goes Linky - Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - I'm Lovin' It - Sweets for a Saturday - Fat Camp Friday

The Search for the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie

2011-10-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

For this round of the Crazy Cooking Challenge we are looking for the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I've got a couple of personal favorites so far......the cookie from Baked and the Jacque Torres (NY Times) cookie. But ever since I read through the Chocolate Chip Cookie Quest over at Sweet as Sugar Cookies, I've been meaning to try the cookie from Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery.

There is nothing complicated with this recipe (although it does use both all-purpose and bread flour).....the hardest part of it all will be waiting overnight to 24 hours before baking these bad boys up. From everything I've read, this resting period in the fridge is mandatory if you want the best results for your cookie. Both the Baked recipe and the NY Times recipes also require you to let the dough rest overnight for the best texture and flavor.

And the most important part......how were they? Oh my.....these really are fantastic! They are crisp at the edges but super chewy on the inside....all with a great caramel flavor that everyone agreed was just delicious! Of course, I need to do a side-by-side taste test before I officially declare this as my favorite......nut I really do think we have a winner!

Check out all of the other great recipes over at Sweet as Sugar Cookies!

Joanne Chang's Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Joanne Change of Flour Bakery via Sweet as Sugar Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 white sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup chopped semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup finely chopped milk chocolate

Beat the butter and sugars until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined.

Mix together the flours, baking soda, and salt. Add both chocolates to he flour mix and toss to combine. Slowly blend the flour-chocolate mixture into the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until the flour and chocolate are totally incorporated and the dough is completely mixed.

For best results, scrape dough into a container and let rest in the refrigerator for a day before baking. The next day, heat the oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the center of the oven. Drop the dough in 1/4-cup balls onto a baking sheet about two inches apart. Press dough balls down on the edges and slightly soft in the center, 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Enjoy!

Make sure you check out some of the other entries in the Crazy Cooking Challenge and vote for your favorite....me, of course ;)

This post is linked to:
Bake with Bizzy - Full Plate Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Show Off Your Stuff - Fusion Fridays - Anything Goes Linky - Friday Food- Sweets for a Saturday - I'm Lovin' It - Fat Camp Friday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Monday, Mmmm......Dessert - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday

Asian Pear Cake

2011-10-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

Are you familiar with Asian Pears? Imagine if an apple and a pear got together and had a baby.....that's pretty much what you get with these guys. I love snacking on these when they're nice and cold.....super crunchy and juicy. I had never tried baking with them before, but I saw this recipe for Asian Pear Cake with my CSA box from Abundant Harvest Organics....and since I had too many for me to snack on, I figured it would be a perfect time to try!

The hubby absolutely loved this cake! It was a huge hit.....and could easily be made with either apples or pears if Asian pears aren't available to you. The fruit gets diced up pretty small and simply mixed into the batter of the cake. The cake is really like a snack cake that you can just grab a slice and eat (no plate and fork required). The hubby took the majority of the cake to work, and it seemed to disappear!

Asian Pear Cake
Source: Abundant Harvest Organics

Fruit Mixture:
3 cups diced Asian pears
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/3 cup sugar

Cake:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350.

Flour and grease a bundt pan.

In a medium bowl, combine fruit mixture.

In the bowl of a standing mixer combine the dry ingredients (flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg). With the mixer on low, stir in the oil, vanilla, and eggs until well blended. Add the fruit mixture to the batter and mix until combined.

Put into bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. Turn out onto plate when cooled.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Monday, Mmmm......Dessert - Mingle Monday - Tea Party Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - Bake with Bizzy - Full Plate Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Favorites - Show Off Your Stuff - Fusion Fridays - Anything Goes Linky - Friday Food - Sweets for a Saturday - I'm Lovin' It - It's a Celebration - Fat Camp Friday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday