ItBakesMeHappy

Baked Chocolate Banana French Toast…

2012-02-08T13:50:00.002-05:00

Lately on Pinterest I have been seeing a lot of baked French Toast recipes and then yesterday I saw this amazing one on Bakerella. I was inspired, so I whipped together a little recipe of my own. Monday night I baked banana bread and don't know if maybe there is something wrong with me or my oven but for some reason it overflowed. My oven got all charred and nasty and there was smoke filling the house, not cool – I have NEVER had a problem like this before. Needless to say 25 to 30 minutes into the hour it takes to bake I just had to shut the oven off and stop the madness. I wasn't expecting it to turn out but wouldn't you know it when I went to clean my oven the next morning it was cooked all the way through. It was however a little too moist to really slice and eat so I put it in a Gladware and set it aside. Well I had been thinking about the post I saw from Bakerella and the many other pins and I just couldn't get it out of my head. I threw together this new recipe, it was just basic staples that I added to the banana bread and viola! a yummy breakfast/dessert treat was born. I hope next time your not sure what to do with the last few slices of banana bread or just in the mood for something really decadent, you'll give this recipe a try.

Baked Chocolate Banana French Toast
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Ingredients:

1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cocoa powder
2 tbs milk
1 egg
2 slices Banana Bread, cut into six pieces

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350º and spray a small loaf pan or other baking dish. In a bowl whisk together the first 5 ingredients and then dip the bread to coat all sides. Place the bread into your pan, top with some honey vanilla sprinkles or brown sugar and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, enjoy warm or try it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy and happy baking!

Baking Fail…

2012-02-01T15:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I decided to try out a new cupcake recipe, I am in the planning stages for my baby's first birthday so I thought I would give it a go. Well all I can say is sometimes we all fall short, at least the recipe did in my opinion! I found it on allrecipes.com and it had many great reviews - even a few tips to improve it. Maybe it's just me but it didn't turn out at all the way it said it would, nor did they taste good. I know what you're thinking, you don't like cake – which I don't, but these tasted more like corn muffins to me and there wasn't even any corn in the recipe! I was going to photograph them so you could see just how bad they turned out, but I ended up throwing them out before I got around to it. I'm trying a new recipe in the next day or two, I'll keep you posted. Until then enjoy and happy baking of your own!

Caramelitas…

2012-01-07T14:17:00.001-05:00

Lately I like to browse Pinterest during nap time or before bed while the hubby is working and just this week I ran across this recipe. Boy let me tell you about this recipe, it is DELICIOUS – I even ate one for breakfast yesterday! What is not to love about caramel, chocolate and oatmeal, right? Well this divine little treat is from the very addictive blog of Lulu the Baker see the recipe here, she has some other really amazing looking recipes posted as well. Check her out, but you might want to go ahead and make these first because you'll need something to do while you wait for them to cool. Enjoy and happy baking!

Reese Peanut Butter Banana Muffins…

2012-01-03T14:29:00.007-05:00

I ran across this recipe for bread a week or so ago on Pinterest and I decided I HAD TO MAKE IT! The recipe was originally posted on Cookie&Cups, a splendidly, beautiful blog all about sugar. Not wanting to wait the full hour for bread, I decided to muffinize it, yeah you know I love a good muffin. I tweaked it just a bit, I like applesauce in my breads and muffins in place of the oil. What more can I say than – this recipe is everything you imagined it could be. If you don't have the Reese's cups on hand, run out and get some and make this dream a reality, enjoy and happy baking!

Reese Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
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Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 c peanut butter
1/4 c applesauce
1 egg
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1 1/2 c of flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz bag of Reese’s Mini cups ( I used 10 of the individually wrapped miniature cups and chopped them up)

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the bananas, peanut butter, applesauce, egg and sugars. In a separate bowl whisk together your flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then fold in the Reese's cups. Divide the batter among your prepared muffin pans (about 18 muffins) and bake at 350ª for 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and transfer to racks to finish cooling.

Gingerbread Cookies…

2011-12-12T16:31:00.000-05:00

So last week I was really feeling festive and I wanted to make something for my hubby, so gingerbread cookies it was. I found this recipe in a magazine (Better Homes and Gardens - 100 Best Cookies, 2010) actually if you want to get technical, it was in a Domino sugar ad, so I thought what the heck! They turned out really yummy, I am not a cookie person, but I do like these fresh from the oven. So give them a try, I bet you will too – enjoy and happy baking!

Gingerbread Cookies

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Ingredients:

3/4 c brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 c butter, softened
2 eggs
1/4 c honey
3 1/4 c flour
2 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or baking mats. In your stand mixer beat the sugar and butter until fluffy, then add the eggs and honey. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients, gradually incorporate into the wet mixture. Scrap out the dough into plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. On a well floured surface, roll dough to about an 1/8 inch thick and cut into gingerbread men or whatever shape cutter you have on hand. Place on cookie sheets and bake 9 minutes. Cool on racks and decorate as desired. FYI: Baking time will vary with cookie size (9-12 depending on size). Makes about 3 dozen 3 inch men.

Adapted from Domino Sugar recipe

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread…

2011-12-03T16:41:00.000-05:00

This recipe is as good as it sounds! As I was unpacking my kitchen (we just moved = yay!) I realized I had several jars of peanut butter that I am going to need to use before too long. I also had some bananas that needed to be eaten, or in my opinion baked or frozen. I love me some slightly green bananas, but once they spot I won't eat them. I was perusing Tastespotting and I came across this recipe and I just knew I had to make it. So if you are craving some banana bread check out this recipe and satisfy your sweet tooth, happy baking and enjoy!

Grandpa DF's Banana Pudding…

2011-11-10T15:09:00.000-05:00

You know I love bananas, and one of my all time favorite desserts, or treats or guilty pleasures - whatever you want to call it is… Banana Pudding! When I was younger and still in college, my sister used to sell at a farmers market in downtown Jacksonville, anyway there was this couple that sold cakes and other desserts, they had the best pudding, and it was just the right portion. Then a couple of years later there was a gelato shop called "Funari's" they sold banana pudding gelato and I thought that it was the best I had ever had, until they went out of business and that was a sad day for sure! Fast forward a few more years to the present, yes I realize I am probably only talking about a 8 year span, but that's a lot these days. OK so the other day my mother in law was talking about how the missionaries wanted her to make Italian Cream Cake and I was bummed because 1. I don't eat cake and 2. I was craving some banana pudding. She had made this recipe for me in the past and so she offered to again, well I wasn't going to turn that offer down. So to get to the point, here is the recipe, it was handed down from her father and it is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Go make this now, trust me you want it!

Grandpa DF's Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 1/2 c cool water
1 can condensed milk
1/2 pt whipping cream, whipped
2 bananas
1/2 box vanilla wafers

Directions:

Whisk together the first 3 ingredients, then fold in the whipped cream. In a large bowl alternate layers of pudding with sliced bananas and vanilla wafers, finishing with wafer. Cool and enjoy - which trust me you will.

*FYI: Recipe can be doubled or tripled and it still turns out amazing!

Zucchini Bread…

2011-10-29T09:25:00.000-04:00

The other day we got a knock on the door and two grocery bags of squash = zucchini and yellow - which left me wondering what to do with it all? After taking half of it to the neighbor I went about making dinner the rest of the week and using squash in everything. Today since I only had a few zucchini left, I decided to make some bread. This recipe is yummy, moist and can be doubled for two loaves if so desired. Next time you find yourself with a surplus of squash, give it a try. Enjoy and happy baking!

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

1 large zucchini, shredded

6 oz. plain yogurt

1 egg

1 tps vanilla

¾ c brown sugar

1 ½ c flour

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1/8 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350º and prepare a loaf pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl combine the zucchini, yogurt, egg, vanilla and brown sugar. In a smaller bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet until moist, pour into loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes.

Mini Pies…

2011-10-14T21:30:00.000-04:00

Last week was my birthday and I was super excited to get one of these and with it this awesome cookbook! So far I have made quite a few of the recipes, the ham and cheese quiche is probably my favorite of them so far. I am super excited to make the s'more pie, it just looks too good not to try. Most of the recipes are simple, very similar to things I typically make and it's fun to adapt and try new things. If you're lucky enough to already own an electric pie maker or maybe it's on your Christmas wish list? If so, I recommend picking up a copy of this book, get creative and happy "mini" baking!

Italian Cream Cake…

2011-10-02T10:50:00.001-04:00

Well yesterday our neighbors celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary with a cookout and around here my hubby's mom is famous for her Italian Cream Cakes, so they asked her to bake one for them. She agreed, but since she would be out of town on vacation this took some creative thinking. Monday she baked two cakes and froze them and then Thursday night I placed them in the oven (no it wasn't on) overnight to thaw. So Friday while my sweet girl was napping I had some frosting to make and some cakes to assemble. The great thing about this cake is that it does freeze and still turn out fantastic, plus the frosting is super easy to make. Next time you need a dessert and you're running low on time you can whip one or two of these up a few days in advance. Just pop the cakes in the freezer until the day before, thaw when ready and once you frost them, viola! So now that you have cream cake on the brain, here is the recipe. Enjoy and happy baking!

Italian Cream Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1 stick margarine
1 c crisco
2 c sugar
5 egg yolks
1 c buttermilk
1 small can coconut
2 c flour
1 tsp soda
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 c nuts, chopped
5 egg whites, beaten

For the frosting:

1 lb powdered sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chopped pecans

Directions:

For the cake: In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside. In the bowl of your mixer cream the sugar and shortening add the egg yokes and dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk and vanilla. Beat the egg whites till stiff and fold in the nuts and coconut. Divide the cake batter between 3, 9" pans, bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes.

For the frosting: Combine the first 4 ingredients in your mixer and blend until smooth, then incorporate the nuts. Spread 1/3 of the frosting on the bottom layer and top with the next cake, repeat and finish with the last 1/3 of frosting.

What I've been up to…

2011-09-28T22:54:00.000-04:00

If you're wondering why I haven't posted lately. It's because when I'm not tending to my little one, I have been glued to my laptop and not my mixer. What is she talking about you are probably wondering? I did it, I joined. In the words of a friend of mine, "Welcome to the dark side". That's right, you guessed it, pinterest. So now like all of you, I too, am now addicted. Pinning and re-pinning till I can't see straight. I might need to take a friends advice and "limit myself to once a day" – IF THAT IS POSSIBLE! So I'm sorry for slacking, I apologize. Something new and yummy coming soon… I promise. Until then check it out, you just might get addicted too, that is if you aren't already!

Peach Cobbler…

2011-09-19T15:54:00.003-04:00

So last Thursday was my mother-in-laws birthday, I asked her what kind of cake she wanted or if there was some other treat she would prefer and she told me she wanted peach cobbler. Well I absolutely LOVE fruit desserts, especially when served warm with vanilla ice cream! Maybe it's another great taste of summer, or just that it reminds me of my childhood, I'm not sure? But if you love peaches and you're feeling like some cobbler, I suggest you give this recipe a try. Enjoy and happy baking!

Peach Cobbler

Adapted from Everyday Baking

Ingredients:

1/2 c sugar
1 tbs cornstarch
5-6 peaches, peeled and sliced
1 lemon, juice

1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

topping:

1 c flour
3 tbs sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbs cold butter, diced
2/3 c buttermilk

Directions:

In a large bowl toss the peaches with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a small bowl sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter and slowly add the buttermilk until a sticky dough forms. In a baking pan spread the peaches and top with the dough, bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, serve warm with a 2 tbs. milk or vanilla ice cream.

Peanut Butter Cup Blondies…

2011-09-17T12:47:00.001-04:00

I ran across this recipe last week and knew that I wanted to make these. I just didn't know when, well every Tuesday night my in-laws have the young single adults over for a gospel lesson and dinner. My mother-in-law was out of town so dinner was up to the hubby and me, so I decided it was the perfect opportunity to test a new recipe. They were a hit (with the YSA and my husband), I think you should give these a try. You can find the original recipe here. Since I needed a double batch, I accidentally altered the recipe and it still turned out awesome, enjoy and happy baking!

Peanut Butter Cup Blondies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c flour
2 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 c butter, melted
2 tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c chocolate chips
4 peanut butter cups, chopped

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine the peanut butter, butter, milk, vanilla and eggs, stirring well. Add the peanut butter mixture to flour mixture; stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into a prepared baking pan (I used a 9x13, but you could do 8x8 or 9x9 for thicker bars). Top with chopped peanut butter cups and bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes or until your tester comes out clean.

Caramel-Nut Cinnamon Buns…

2011-09-12T15:29:00.000-04:00

So one day last week a King Arthur Flour catalog arrived in the mail, I thumbed through it and ran across this recipe. Well I knew I just had to make it, sometimes recipes (or maybe it's just their delicious photos) speak to me and shout "MAKE ME NOW" – so I did! I did have to tweak the recipe just a bit, I mean who really keeps grape seed flour on hand, but they still turned out tasting quite delicious. So if your feeling like some cinnamon buns or just need a little caramel in your life, give this one a try.

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour Caramel-Nut Cinnamon Buns

Ingredients:

For the Dough -
1 1/4 c water, warm
3 1/2 c flour
2 tbs sugar
3 tbs butter
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp instant yeast
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Filling -
5 tablespoons butter
1 c brown sugar
3 tbs ground cinnamon
1/2 c chopped nuts
1/2 c caramel bits

Directions:

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the dough ingredients and mix until a smooth dough forms. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. In a small bowl add the first three filling ingredients and mix until combined, set aside. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it out into a large rectangle. Spread the cinnamon mixture over the dough and top with caramel and nuts. Starting with one of the wide ends, roll into a log. Slice into 12 pieces, spray a muffin pan and place a slice into each well. Bake at 350º for 22 minutes, remove from the oven and let cool 5-10 minutes. Serve warm, topped with icing or glaze if desired.

Raspberry Lemon Loaf…

2011-09-08T13:56:00.001-04:00

Today I just felt like baking, and since we had some fresh raspberries in the refrigerator I decided that is where I would start. So I gathered up the usual suspects and preheated the oven. This quick bread has a fresh lemony accent that pairs well with the raspberries, plus it's not too sweet - so it makes for a good breakfast or a nice snack. Even though its September now, I'm trying to hold on to summer just a little bit longer with this recipe, enjoy and happy baking!

Raspberry Lemon Loaf
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Ingredients:

2 c flour
½ c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 c fresh raspberries
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 c milk
4 oz applesauce
1 egg

Directions:

In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients with the lemon zest. In a small bowl combine the wet ingredients until well blended. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and fold in the raspberries. Bake in a prepared loaf pan at 400º for 35-40 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins…

2011-09-05T12:17:00.001-04:00

I KNOW what you're probably thinking — muffins again? Well you know I love muffins, and one of my absolute favorite types of muffins is Lemon Poppy Seed. These are a really light muffin, the lemon just brightens them right up. With or without the glaze you're going to love these, I hope you'll give them a try. Enjoy and happy baking!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
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Ingredients:

muffins:

2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 c milk
6 oz plain yogurt
1 tbs poppy seeds
1/2 tsp lemon oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 lemon, zest and juice

glaze:

3 tsp powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:
In a large bowl sift together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients and add to the flour mixture. Line a muffin tin with papers and spoon in batter. Bake at 375º for 25 minutes, cool in pan for 5 minutes, top with glaze and serve.

Chicken Lasagna…

2011-08-27T14:05:00.002-04:00

So yesterday for dinner I decided to make lasagna, it sounded good, plus I haven't cooked dinner in a few weeks. I guess you could say I was inspired by Ina Garten, I was watching her show the day before and she made wild mushroom lasagna, so I guess you could say Ina + subconscious = dinner. I think this may have been the first time I have ever made lasagna, I can't remember? It turned out really tasty, just waiting for it to finish baking was tough, it made the whole house smell so good. I served the lasagna with crusty bread, fresh veggies and salad for a crowd pleasing meal. So if your like me and have no idea what to make for dinner most days I hope you'll give this recipe a try, enjoy and happy baking!

Chicken Lasagna
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Ingredients:

1 box no boil lasagna noodles
15 oz. ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 c. shredded Italian cheese blend
5 c. spaghetti sauce
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375º and coat a 9x13" baking pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl combine the ricotta with the eggs and set aside. Cover the bottom of the pan with sauce, add a layer of noodles, spread on some of ricotta mixture, then sprinkle chicken and Italian cheese on top. Repeat the layering, the top layer should be sauce and shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes, remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5-10 minutes and serve warm.

P-i-z-z-a, crust that is…

2011-08-23T10:24:00.006-04:00

Need I say more? I mean who doesn't love pizza? I would venture to say it is one of the greatest inventions EVER! – at least in the culinary world. Ok so to be completely honest the last few days I have actually been thinking about/craving calzones. I was feeling up to the task, so I whipped up some dough to make it a lunchtime reality. Unfortunately after a trip to the grocery store my sweet baby girl was a little restless, so I opted for pizza instead. What I like about this crust is that it isn't too thick and it isn't too thin, just right, and if you like it crispy just add a minute or two to the bake time. So now that your hungry and craving pizza, here's the recipe, enjoy and happy baking!

Pizza Crust
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Ingredients:

½ c warm water
 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast  = 1 envelope
1 ¼ c water, room temperature
 2 tbs olive oil 
4 c flour
 1 ½ tsp salt

Directions:

Put the warm water into a 2 c glass measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, around 5-6 minutes. Add room temperature water and oil and stir to combine. Next combine the flour and salt in a large bowl and whisk. Make a well in the mixture and pour the liquid ingredients in a little at a time. Once a ball forms, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for a few strokes to form a smooth, round ball. Put the dough in a oiled bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled in size, about an  1 ½ hours. Press the dough to deflate it, divide it into two and roll out for baking. Top with your favorite cheese and pizza toppings and bake at 450º for about 15-18 minutes, or until your desired crispness.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins…

2011-08-18T13:43:00.004-04:00

Okay, as promised I finally baked! I have been craving some muffins lately, but since I am trying to be healthy (recovering from pregnancy is no easy task you know) I wanted to ensure I didn't have to eat them all by myself. Have you ever seen this video on youtube, my friends know it's one of my favorites, I have probably watched it at least a dozen or so times. Well with that said, I decided to make muffins that everyone would love, Apple + Cinnamon = crowd pleaser. This recipe is simple and easy, you probably even have everything on hand to make them. So head on into the kitchen and mix yourself up a batch of these beauties. Remember muffins aren't just for breakfast, these are delicious warm, but they would be even more amazing sliced in half with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Enjoy and happy baking!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins
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Ingredients:

2 c Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Nutmeg
½ tsp Salt
½ c Cinnamon Chips
½ c Butter, Room Temperature
½ c Granulated Sugar
½ c Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 c Apples, Finely Chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line muffin tins with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt, then add the cinnamon chips and stir. In the bowl of an electric mixture on medium speed, beat together butter, sugars, and eggs until fluffy, reduce speed and add vanilla. Then stir in the apples and fold the wet mixture into the flour. Spoon the batter into paper liners and sprinkle brown sugar over the muffin batter. Bake for 20 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. When finished, allow to cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Citrus Diaper Changing Pad…

2011-08-13T19:44:00.008-04:00

OK, so I am going to bake this coming week, but I was so excited to finish my latest project that I just HAVE to share it with you :) So I have been re-learning to sew, sorry mom, I know you wanted me to learn when I was younger (but I had a hard time sitting still that long). Anyway, I have made two things so far, the first one was this and now I finally finished sewing my very own diaper changing pad! Let's just say that sewing while caring for a 3 1/2 month old and trying to sew is not the easiest task, translation = I have to wait for nap time. So if your looking for something to sew for yourself or an expecting friend check out the directions here. Happy sewing.

A Trip to Bake It Pretty Asheville…

2011-08-07T15:29:00.001-04:00

So this past week my little family took our first vacation, the first of many to come! We had a great time going to all the little shops and restaurants that my husband and his family frequented when he was a kid. Our destination was the cabin his grandfather built many years ago, it's just outside Waynesville, NC. We explored and are and one day while in Asheville we went to Bake It Pretty - I was so EXCITED! I love their website, especially the blog – so a chance to visit the store in person and pick out my goodies by hand just couldn't be missed! My apologies that I haven't baked anything in a while, but check out some of my spoils, I just can't wait to try them out. Hope you enjoy the photos.

P.S. - check back soon for another tasty treat :)

Bake It Pretty Asheville

Candy Surprise Oatmeal Cookies…

2011-07-23T11:46:00.000-04:00

Monday is 2 years of wedded bliss! Since my hubby is taking the Florida Bar on Tuesday and Wednesday I decided that I would spoil him today, so I made shrimp and scallop fried rice and baked these cookies just for him. Now about these cookies, you know my guy loves his peanut butter and I love trying new recipes, so it just seemed to fit. Check out the recipe below.

Candy Surprise Oatmeal Cookies
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Ingredients:

Your Favorite “Fun Size” chocolate candy, frozen 
1 c all purpose flour 
1 tsp baking powder
 1/2 tsp baking soda
 1/2 tsp salt
 2 sticks of butter, softened
 1 c granulated sugar
 1/4 c packed brown sugar 
1 large egg
 1 tbsp vanilla extract
 2 1/2 c old fashioned rolled oats

Directions:

Freeze your "Fun Size" candy for at least 2 hours before preparations begin. When your ready, start by preheating the oven to 350F and spray your baking tray. Next in a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together the softened butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, remember to scrape the sides. Then add the egg and vanilla and beat again until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture a little at a time, mixing on slow speed after each addition. Once fully combined, add the oats. Stir the dough by hand one last time. Remove the candy from freezer and unwrap. Scoop out a ball of dough and place it into the palm of your hand, flatten the dough between your palms, and then place a frozen candy in the middle of the dough. Now form the dough around the candy piece until it is completely covered with no cracks. Place the cookie onto your pan and repeat until you have used all the dough, or run out of candy. Bake until the cookies are golden brown, about 16 minutes. Cool the cookies on the pan for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack. Once cooled, enjoy!

FYI - Be forewarned these cookies spread, I think next time I will cut out a stick of butter and just go with one, happy baking.

White Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2011-07-07T13:00:00.000-04:00

STRESSED… at least my hubby is these days. Studying for the Bar will do that to a person, and I know that stress eating is bad, but I wanted to make him something that would take his mind off of all that studying, even if just for a minute! What to make, what to make? I asked myself. Even though my sister in law just made cookies here on Monday, I decided that some White Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies were just the answer. With my baby napping I ventured into the kitchen and mixed up a batch of these to bake. As babies often do, she woke up and so with a quick change of the diaper, it was into the swing to continue her nap (fingers crossed). Finally I popped the first batch into the oven, 11 minutes later there they were golden and hot, all ready for my sweetie. Whether for you or a loved one, I suggest you give these cookies a try. They're quick, easy and you probably even have most – if not all of the ingredients on hand, enjoy and happy baking!

White Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
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Ingredients:

1¼ cups all-purpose flour 
½ teaspoon baking powder
 ½ teaspoon baking soda 
¼ teaspoon salt
 ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
 ½ cup light brown sugar
 ½ cup granulated sugar
 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1 cup oats 1 cup white chocolate chips
 1 cup raisins

Directions:

Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Next add the egg and the vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, mix in the oats, the white chocolate chips and the raisins. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and place on the baking sheet, slightly flatten the top of each cookie. Bake until golden about 11 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack until completely cool. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

8 weeks…

2011-06-24T14:11:00.000-04:00

Yep that's right my baby is now 2 months old – man time flies! I made some muffins yesterday for the hubby, (but I'll admit, they were from a box) so I thought instead I would share an updated photo of my little cutie. I could stare at her all day long, but that wouldn't be very productive. I love to watch her sleep she is so peaceful, but I love watching her kick and smile and coo just as much. I'll try to get inspired and find something tasty to share with you next week, but until then I hope this will do.

Nestle "Without the Toll" House Cookies…

2011-06-14T14:16:00.000-04:00

I love my husband, and since he had been asking for cookies this week, I decided to make him some yesterday. One of his favorite cookies is what we refer to as Nestle Toll House cookies without the "toll" – i.e. no chocolate, but don't be dismayed, you know how much he likes cinnamon, so I threw in some cinnamon chips too. I don't bake cookies often, mainly because I won't eat them, but I like to make people happy and I like to bake, so it's a win, win situation. With that said if your feeling like a stroll down memory lane mix up a batch of these cookies, with chocolate or anything you like and enjoy!

Nestle "Without the Toll" House Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 c cinnamon chips

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375° F. COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies…

2011-06-09T18:00:00.000-04:00

So I do a lot of jumping from one website to the next, what can I say? I like to look at yummy food! Anyway, I ran across this recipe and thought it looked too good not to try. So for the first time in 2 weeks I decided to bake. During my pregnancy I had a lot of missteps in new recipes, I would forget an ingredient or not have something on hand that I needed (like a baking pan). Do you ever do that? Well whenever I rush into a recipe without really reading it, or maybe it's the preoccupation with the baby, whatever it is, it takes me forever to get it into the oven it seems like. Well needless to say this was no exception – I mean, there are quite a few steps to making these brownies happen. But if you're in the mood for some chocolate & peanut butter and have some extra time, whip these together, there are plenty to share!

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Ingredients:

Brownies:

1¼ c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
11 oz chocolate chips
1 c unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1½ c granulated sugar
½ c brown sugar, packed
5 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Topping:

½ c unsalted butter, melted
1 c powdered sugar
1½ c peanut butter
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, spray a 9×13-inch pan with baking spray. Whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. In a double boiler melt the chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat, keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Stir until completely combined, and remove from the pan, mixture should be room temperature. Add 3 of the eggs to the chocolate mixture and mix until combined. Add the remaining eggs and the vanilla and stir until combined. Sprinkle in the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula fold the flour mixture into the chocolate, then pour the batter into your baking pan. Now whisk together the peanut butter swirl ingredients and drop dollops of the swirl mixture over the top of the brownie batter. Using a butter knife, swirl the peanut butter into the brownie batter. Run your knife crosswise and lengthwise through the batters. Bake for 38-40 minutes, tester should come out with a few crumbs on it. Let cool and cut into squares to serve.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes…

2011-05-25T09:55:00.001-04:00

So as promised, here is my most recent baking achievement. If you want to get technical and all exact, I actually baked twice this week, which I think is pretty impressive considering that today my baby girl is now 4 weeks old. That's right, 4 weeks old, pretty crazy I know! Anyway so I was hunting for something new to bake and I ran across this recipe (an adaptation of a Martha Stewart recipe) which of course I adapted slightly to fit what I had on hand. One of my dear friends had a birthday Sunday and my hubby had an interview Monday, so I thought it would be special to make them a little treat. I like to try new recipes as you know and this recipe as it turns out was a good call, because they both loved them. So get on up and over to your kitchen to whip up a batch of these cupcakes, because you probably already have all the ingredients on hand. Happy baking and enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
-----------------------------

Ingredients:

3/4 c cake flour
 3/4 tsp baking powder
 1/8 tsp salt
 1 tsp cinnamon
 1/4 c unsalted butter, room temperature
 1/2 c sugar
 1 egg, room temperature
 1/2 tsp vanilla
 6 tbs milk, room temperature (I used Almond Milk, and it didn't mess it up)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake tray with paper liners. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon and set aside. In your mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium for about 2 minutes. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar in three additions. Alternate with milk in two additions. Fill baking cups about 3/4 full. Bake for about 13-15 minutes. Remove cupcakes from tray to cool, then ice with frosting of your choice and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Viola – Snickerdoodle Cupcakes!

3 Weeks and Counting…

2011-05-18T14:12:00.000-04:00

Ok so it's been a month since I last posted, I'm a slacker I know. Here's the thing – three weeks ago today we welcomed our daughter to the world! So trust me when I say that the birth of our totally awesome, super adorable, baby girl is a good enough reason to slack right? Between diaper changes, feeding, naps, recovering from surgery, and just falling more madly in love each day with my little family – let me just say that I have thought about baking, but haven't actually done any! It's coming soon, I can feel it, so hang in there with me. I promise to come up with something super tasty for your viewing and baking pleasure :) Until then hopefully this picture will make up for my MIA-ness.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins…

2011-04-16T11:51:00.000-04:00

So the other night, I was really wanting a treat and after about an hour of motivation, I finally made it off the couch and whipped these together. If you know anything about me you know I love muffins and I love lemon! Our new baby is almost here and a lot of my friends think I am crazy to still be baking, but I enjoy it and I know there will be several weeks without any, so I figure I should enjoy it now before my break. If your feeling like a late night treat or just something tasty for breakfast give this recipe a try. my apologies for the lack of a picture, like I said, I am almost due, so some things just get forgotten – but you don't need to see them to know they are good. Enjoy :)

Lemon Blueberry Muffins…
---------------------------------

Ingredients:

2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp lemon oil
1 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbs butter
1/2 c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 c blueberries

Directions:

Mix 2 tbs sugar with 1/2 tsp lemon oil. In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. In your electric mixer, beat the 5 remaining tbs sugar with the butter. One at a time add the egg, buttermilk, vanilla and lemon sugar. Beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Gently fold in the blueberries and spoon the batter into your muffin pan. Top with honey vanilla sprinkles and bake at 375 for 11 minutes. Try to let them cool, before you dig in. Makes 6 muffins.

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole…

2011-04-10T15:20:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I actually made this last Sunday, but hey – I am almost 37 weeks pregnant, and posting is not exactly the main thing on my mind these days! With that said, I wanted something yummy and healthy for dinner, so I decided to check out the Tasty Kitchen website, where I ran across a chicken & broccoli casserole, and decided to change it up just a bit and add some rice while I was out, you know to really round out the whole meal and be kind of like a one pot, even though technically it was more like 2 pots and a baking pan. If your feeling in the mood for a savory bake, give this one a shot.

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
––––––––––––––––––––––

Ingredients:

12 oz. Broccoli, chopped
2 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
Salt & Pepper, to taste
2 tbs Butter
1 ½ tbs Flour
½ c milk
1 c Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Steam the broccoli for about 5 minutes, rinse in cold water once it is done. Meanwhile, season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then brown for 2 minutes each side in a saute pan. Place in a 8×8 baking dish. To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and whisk until it is silky smooth. Let it turn slightly tan, then pour in the milk, whisk quickly until the roux is dissolved. Next add the grated cheese and stir until the cheese is melted, then add the spices to taste. Pour the mixture over chicken and broccoli, and bake for 20 minutes.

Strawberry Bread…

2011-03-17T20:51:00.000-04:00

We spent this past weekend with my husbands family which is always fun, especially when there is a house full. It means lots of goodies, no end to the food possibilities, here is a tasty bread recipe mom makes, it goes pretty quick. I only ate one slice over the weekend, so when we came home I decided I wanted to make some of my own. The funny thing, or not so funny thing about baking new recipes while pregnant, is that I tend to miss something very obvious and end up having an "oh no" moment almost every time! So the batter is all ready to go into the oven and I read the last line of the instructions, divide into "two loaf pans" – yikes! I only have one, so what does one do in this dilemma? Make one loaf and 18 muffins! Check out the recipe here, the muffins were a hit among my co-workers.

Strawberry Bread
---------------------

Ingredients:

3 c flour
1 tbs baking soda
1/2 tbs salt
1 tbs cinnamon
2 c sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 c oil
3 c fresh strawberries, chopped
1 c walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

Directions:

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Add eggs, oil and strawberries, stir well in your mixer. Add nuts and combine gently. Divide batter into 2 loaf pans, coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Cool before slicing.

FYI - I didn't use nuts, becacue you know how I'm not a fan and for a slightly lighter version, I used 1/2 c applesauce and 1/2 oil, the bread was moist and amazing! Go bake so up, trust me.

Ham & Cheese Souffle…

2011-03-03T21:54:00.000-05:00

So today one of my co-workers was telling me about the very delicious souffles they serve at Panera and recommended that I give souffle making a try. So I thought, you know what? I think I will! I know what you're thinking, they are tricky and hard to bake. Honestly that is what has always kept me from making them in the past, but since I have never attempted, I thought I would do some research and give it a try. I found recipes for chocolate ones, strawberry ones, cheese ones, potato ones, pretty much any kind of souffle your little heart might desire, well I decided on this one, so here goes.

Souffle
---------

Ingredients:

2 tbs butter

2 tbs flour

1/4 c minced onion

1 1/2 c milk

4 oz. grated cheddar

1/2 tsp mustard powder

1/8 tsp cayenne

1/8 tsp nutmeg

6 eggs, separated

Salt and pepper to taste

4 oz. chopped ham

1 1/2 tbs chopped chives, optional

1/4 c Parmesan

Directions:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour to make a paste, then whisk in the milk. Bring to a simmer and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar, mustard, nutmeg, egg yolks, salt and pepper. Stir over medium heat for 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, stir in ham and chives and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 375 and coat six 8 ounce ramekins with cooking spray. Coat the bottom and the sides of the ramekins with the Parmesan, shaking out any excess. In a large bowl, whip the eggs whites to stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the chilled cheese mixture to make a fluffy batter. Divide the batter between the ramekins and transfer to a baking sheet. Or if you're like me and you don't own any, then just use a pan. Bake until golden brown and puffed, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Cinnamon Banana Muffins…

2011-02-23T21:12:00.000-05:00

So I was feeling like banana bread the other night, but I wasn't really wanting to wait the total bake time. What's a girl to do? Make muffins of course – Cinnamon Banana Muffins, that is! These tasty little muffins were super easy to make and very delicious, I will definitely be making them again soon. The best part about muffins is how easy they are to eat, or take on the go, recently I bought these cute little glad containers and had no idea what to do with them? Luckily they fit one muffin perfectly, so viola, a mid-morning snack at work. Check out the recipe below and start baking your own muffins, or if you're feeling lazy, hop on over to YouTube and watch one of my all time favorites, "Muffins" – it's sure to make you laugh!

--------------------------------

Cinnamon Banana Muffins

½ c Butter, At Room Temperature
3/4 c Sugar
½ c brown sugar
2 whole Eggs
⅓ c yogurt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 ripe Mashed Banana
1-½ cup Flour, Sifted
1 pinch Salt
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Brown Sugar (for topping)

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Beat until light and fluffy. Add sour cream and baking soda. Stir in bananas. Add flour and a dash of salt. Beat until smooth. Add vanilla and cinnamon. Fill muffin cups then sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes. Cool and enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Pie Pops…

2011-02-17T19:44:00.000-05:00

I saw these little cuties a few weeks ago on "Our Best Bites" and I knew I had to make them! They spoke to me and so I decided to give them a try and show my co-workers a little love for Valentine's Day. Let me just say that while they aren't too hard to make, they aren't too easy either. Don't ask me why I thought making these while 7 months pregnant was a good idea. By the time I finished them off, my back was sore and I was ready to melt into the couch. Needless to say, if they weren't so cute, they wouldn't have been worth the effort, so thank goodness for that! Now that your motivated to whip up a batch of your own, here's how you do it.

Apple Cinnamon Pie Pops

------------------------------

Ingredients:

1 Pie dough, store bought like I used – or homemade
2" heart-shaped cookie cutter, or any shape for that matter
6" Lollipop sticks

Filling:
1 small apple
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbs butter
1 tbs packed brown sugar
1 tbs flour
1/2 tbs lemon juice
1/4 c cinnamon chips

Glaze:
1/4 c powdered sugar
1/2 tbs butter
1-2 tbs milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the dough, cut hearts using your cookie cutter, you'll need two hearts for each pop. Place 1/2 tsp of filing on one side making sure to keep it at least 1/4-inch away from the edges, sprinkle in a few cinnamon chips. Insert the lollipop stick and wet the edge, place the top heart on and crimp the two together. Pierce the pops with a fork, place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15-20 minutes, cool on racks and drizzle with glaze. Wrap and share with some friends!

Cookie Cake…

2011-02-12T21:11:00.000-05:00

You know I love baking and what better reason to make something new, than for the one you love. Well the other day I was telling a co-worker about this cute heart-shaped cookie pan I had seen at Target last year, but had decided not to buy. Well as luck would have it she went in the next day for a few things and they had it, so she picked one up for me – thanks Karen! So I decided for Valentine's Day this year that I should make my love a cookie cake. I mean why buy a crusty old store bought one, when you can have a fresh, custom-made one? Plus he doesn't actually like chocolate chips in his cookies, which all commercial cookie cakes seem to have, so problem solved. If you don't have a heart pan, no worries, you can make it on a regular cookie sheet too, just make it into whatever shape you want. So if you're feeling the fever, here it is, the recipe I used. Which is basically just the "Nestle Toll House" cookie recipe, but without chocolate chips. I may not be much of a decorator, but I did bake it with love!

Cookie Cake
--------------
Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat your heart-shaped cookie pan with non-stick baking spray. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. Cream the butter and the sugars in your mixer until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined, next add the flour and mix until combined. Transfer the cookie dough to the pan and spread out evenly until the bottom of the pan is covered. Bake for about 8-10 minutes. Remove and cool. Once the cookie is cooled you can decorate it with your favorite frosting or candies, pretty much anything your heart desires!

White Chocolate Key Lime Bars…

2011-01-30T13:14:00.000-05:00

This recipe comes to you via my good friend Heather — this is her "claim-to-baking-fame" recipe. I begged her for the recipe on more than one occasion and when she decided to share it with me, she said if you blog these you have to give me credit! So here you go, thank you Heather for introducing these tasty little citrus treats into my life. I have thinking about baking these for a quite a while. The truth is, I think about these until I have them, then some time passes and I think about them some more. These bars are sweet, rich and so satisfying, try to eat one, because it will be hard to do. Now that I have you all pumped up and probably thinking, "I don't have lime juice, or ginger snaps on hand!" no worries, go get some and then bake these right up. Here's what to do:

White Chocolate Key Lime Bars
––––––––––––––––––––––

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 c gingersnaps crumbs
2 tbsp granulated sugar
7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Lime Filling:

1 large egg
4 large egg yolks
2 (15-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
1 c key lime juice, bottled or fresh
Pinch salt

White chocolate topping:

1/3 cup heavy cream
6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/4 sifted powdered sugar

Directions:

Crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and press
into a 9 by 13 baking dish lined with aluminum foil that extends 2 inches
beyond the short end of the pan. Bake for 8 to10 minutes, remove from oven.
Then reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Lime filling:

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Pour the filling over the
prepared crust. Bake until the filling is almost set, about 20 to 22
minutes. Cool the bars completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Refrigerate
the bars for at least 2 hours, until chilled.

White chocolate topping:

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a gentle boil. Add the chopped chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate. Whisk the powdered sugar into the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is
smooth. Set the topping aside to cool to room temperature for 15 minutes,
stirring occasionally, until cool. Pour the cooled white chocolate topping
over the chilled bars and, using a small, offset metal spatula, spread it
into an even layer. Freeze the bars in the pan for at least 1 hour before
cutting.

Like I said these are rich, and you don't want to hurt yourself, so make these to share, they will brighten some one's day!

Double Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins…

2011-01-10T20:32:00.000-05:00

Well you know how I love muffins. So and when I came across this recipe I couldn't help myself, I copied it down and saved it for a moment of inspiration – that moment came today. So I broke out my brand new double dark dutch process coca that I received as part of a Christmas present and whipped up a batch of these little guys. That' right, you know I made them mini!

Double Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
-------------------------------------------------

Ingredients:

1 c self-rising flour
 1/2 c sugar
2 1/2 tbs cocoa powder 
4 oz chocolate chunks or chips 
1/2 c vegetable oil
 1/2 c buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tray with paper liners. Mix all of the dry ingredients together and make a well in the center. Mix all of the wet ingredients together and pour into the well. Add the chocolate chips and mix until combined. CAUTION: Do not overmix – this will result in tough muffins! Spoon batter into liners and bake 15-20 minutes, 10-11 for mini muffins. Cool and then enjoy.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge…

2011-01-01T18:47:00.000-05:00

We really like fudge, who doesn't for that matter? Well we had some really good chocolate fudge and some buckeyes at Christmas, so when I came upon this recipe I just couldn't get it out of my head! I went to the store specifically to buy marshmallow creme –other than fudge, I have no idea what to do with this stuff! I'll admit in the past I have been a skeptic of marshmallow creme, but this recipe made me into a believer. So get off the couch or out of your chair (go to the grocery store if you have to) and go make this fudge, trust me you will be glad you did!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge
-------------------------------------

Ingredients:

3 c sugar
10 tbs margarine
 2/3 c evaporated milk
 1 tsp vanilla 
6 oz semi sweet chocolate pieces 
7 oz. jar Marshmallow Creme
 1/2 c peanut butter

Directions:

Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, 5 tablespoons margarine and 1/3 cup evaporated milk in a medium pot.  Bring to full rolling boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling for 4 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.  Remove from heat and stir in chocolate pieces until melted.  Add 1/2 jar marshmallow creme and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Beat until well blended.  Pour into greased 13 X 9 pan. Repeat the process substituting peanut butter and spread over the chocolate layer.

It's going to be hard, but let it cool, it takes a while, so you can put it in the freezer to cool quicker if you just can't wait! Then slice into squares, it makes quite a bit of fudge, so go ahead and share some.

Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole…

2010-12-21T21:03:00.000-05:00

This year at work in conjunction with our annual white elephant/Christmas party celebration we decided to have a pot luck, so that meant bringing something. I procrastinated for days on end before finally deciding that I would make this casserole. I looked at dozens of side dish recipes and finally thought to myself, why am I making this such a hard decision? I mean I like cheese and I like potatoes, so why not give it a try? I'll admit it, I almost deviated from the recipe and left out the sour cream (I don't like sour cream) but I decided to give the recipe a try according to the original directions. Needless to say this was a good side dish, it made more than would actually fit in my 9x13, so you might want to bake the excess in a small baking dish similar to the one I used above. Now get up and get baking, this casserole is waiting for you!

Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
-----------------------------------

Ingredients:

2 pounds Frozen Hashbrown Potatoes
1/2 stick Butter, Melted
1/2 medium Yellow Onion, diced
1 pint Sour Cream
2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
1 can (10.75 oz.) Cream Of Chicken Soup
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoons Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, being sure to mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into a greased 9×13 pan. Place into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Turn up the oven to 425 degrees and bake for 15 minutes, lightly browning the top of the casserole.

Just a reminder… don't forget to season this casserole like I did! It will be good,but definitely lacking in the overall taste without salt. What can I say, being pregnant is reeking havoc on my brain and it's ability to follow a new recipe. I continue to try new recipes, I will master this set back – it is after all the best reason to forget things :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Revel Bars…

2010-12-18T21:36:00.000-05:00

This year for Thanksgiving even though my hubby and I didn't get to visit his family, my sweet mother in law made sure to pick me up a copy of BHG 100 Best Cookie recipes. Well as I was reading through it the other morning while eating my breakfast I came across this recipe and decided that I just had to try it! So I dusted off my mixer and pulled out all the ingredients and baked up a batch of these tasty little treats.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Revel Bars
------------------------------------------

Ingredients:

1 c butter
2 c packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 c quick oats
1 14-ounce can (1-1/4 cups) sweetened condensed milk
1 12-ounce package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces
2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar; beat until well mixed. Beat in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. In another large bowl stir together flour and baking soda; stir in oats. Gradually stir dry mixture into beaten mixture. Set aside. In a medium saucepan combine the reserved peanut butter, the sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate pieces. Cook over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in walnuts and the 2 teaspoons vanilla. Press two-thirds (about 3-1/3 cups) of the oat mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 baking pan. Spread chocolate mixture over the oat mixture. Using your fingers, dot remaining oat mixture over the chocolate. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned (chocolate mixture will still look moist). Cool on a wire rack. Cut and serve.

And you know what, they were good – if you like chocolate and peanut butter, you should give this recipe a try. But it you really like chocolate and peanut butter, then you might want to double the peanut butter for a more intense flavor.

Broccoli Casserole…

2010-12-05T18:39:00.000-05:00

Oh the holidays! Well one down, one to go for 2010 at least, every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas I bake up this casserole. It's a tasty recipe my Aunt Susan passed along to mom and she passed to me. This broccoli casserole is easy to make and doesn't take long to throw together. It's sure to be a hit with your family and friends, I know it is with ours!

Broccoli Casserole
---------------------

Ingredients:

2 lbs of chopped broccoli, cooked
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c mayonnaise
2 eggs, beaten
1 stick butter

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl melt the butter, then add the soup, mayonnaise, eggs and half of the cheese until combined. Add the onion and the broccoli and stir until well coated. Transfer the mixture to a 9x13 baking pan coated with cooking spray, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes. Cool the casserole for 5 minutes and serve, enjoy!

Chicken Bacon Potato Soup…

2010-11-21T22:27:00.000-05:00

I usually post things that I bake. But since I've been pregnant, I haven't baked as much, which is evident in my lack of regular posts. Sorry, but I promise – I am on the hunt for something tasty to bake. With that said, I wanted to share something I have made recently with you, so here's a soup recipe that is man-friendly. If you or the guy in your life isn't too much of a soup person, like my husband, even he will enjoy this recipe, and trust me you will too!

Chicken Bacon Potato Soup
--------------------------------

Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes, diced
1 large chicken breast, chopped
1/2 small onion
1 14.5 oz can of chicken broth
1 tbs butter
2 tbs flour
2 c milk
2-3 slices of cooked bacon, chopped

Directions:

In a large soup pot boil the potatoes until tender, about 7 minutes, drain and set aside. Over medium/low heat melt the butter in the pan and add the onions and chicken, cook until chicken is done. Next add the chicken broth, whisk in the flour and then add the milk and the potatoes. Simmer on low until the soup thickens, add the bacon and serve. This recipe is great topped with cheese and served with warm bread – enjoy!

I'm still here…

2010-11-07T22:14:00.000-05:00

For anyone that might be wondering, um? what's the deal? Yes I am still here! No, I didn't fall off the planet, but I am currently in my second trimester – that's right! We're having a baby! Ok, ok, I know this is a baking blog, but I felt I owed it to anyone that actually reads this thing to let you know, no I haven't forgotten you or my oven for that matter. I just haven't been feeling like myself lately, well things are getting better, I'll be 15 weeks in a couple of days. Now that it's out there I feel better, like I'm not keeping it from you guys. Coming Soon - a new and delicious recipe for your viewing pleasures!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies…

2010-10-12T21:52:00.000-04:00

It's been a while, since I last baked that is! We were at the grocery store last night and my hubby was looking at the bakery and just couldn't find any cookies that looked good. So I whipped these together. I hope you'll like them as much as he did, bake a minute less for chewier, a minute more for crisper cookies, enjoy!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies…
-------------------------------

Ingredients:

¾ c Flour
½ tsp Ginger
½ tsp Cinnamon
¼ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Baking Soda
1 stick Butter, Softened
½ c White Sugar
½ c Brown Sugar
1 Egg
½ tsp Vanilla Extract
1-½ c Oats (I used instant, you can use whatever you have on hand)
½ c Raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, salt, and baking soda, then set aside. Beat the sugars with the butter, add in the egg and vanilla and combine well. Next add in the flour mixture, and then the oats and raisins. Bake for 9-10 minutes, depending on the type of cookie you prefer, remove from oven; let the cookies cool on the pan for a minute or two and then transfer to a cooling rack. Then share, or don't share, it doesn't matter to me!

Cake Balls…

2010-10-01T09:51:00.000-04:00

Yep that's what I said. I actually made these a while ago and somehow forgot to share them. My niece was in town staying with my sister and she loves to be in the kitchen, so I thought what better to do than to bake something together, well sort of. I had seen this recipe a while ago on Bakerella and decided it wasn't for me. But on our vacation trip, my husband had the pleasure of trying these for the first time, so I reconsidered. As you know I don't like cake, but my husband does, and well he loves these! (they were a family-wide hit in fact). He especially loves vanilla, so I made a funfetti cake, used vanilla frosting and vanilla candy coating. This was a vanilla cake lovers dream! Warning: you can hurt yourself on these if you don't exercise some restraint, but if you like a good slice of cake, you should give these a try. You will be pleasantly surprised, trust me.

Cake Balls
------------

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can frosting (16 oz.)
1 package candy coating (regular or white chocolate)
wax paper

Directions:

Bake your cake according to directions, or favorite recipe, once the cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl. Next mix thoroughly with 1 can frosting, whatever kind you prefer, using your hands is easiest, but kind of gooey and messy. Roll the mixture into balls and lay on cookie sheet covered in wax paper or parchment. Chill for several hours or you can be impatient like me and just put them in the freezer! Then melt candy coating in microwave per package instructions. Dip the balls into the coating and lay on wax paper until firm. I like to use a fork when coating things, the excess kind of falls off between the tines, but you can also use a spoon. Once the coating has dried/cooled you can eat up right away or put them in the fridge to enjoy a cool treat. I stored mine in a tupperware in the fridge, because this recipe makes a lot, but you could just share them and they will be gone fast!

Apple Cinnamon Bread…

2010-09-19T22:04:00.001-04:00

Well this is my second attempt at baking bread, and I know it's been a while, but this recipe has been a long time coming. Back in December/January we spent New Years Eve and the days following it in Blue Ridge, Georgia, and there was an adorable apple orchard and store that sold the most amazing apple cinnamon bread ever! If they would let me I would probably just live in the cafe and eat nothing but fresh bread all day long. Maybe not, but it's a good dream. So I was feeling like some apple bread and decided to go for it. This recipe is tasty, and you really should be patient and let the dough rise – trust me it's worth it, I know, I know, I have a hard time waiting around for the rising time too. So if you're interested, here it is:

Apple Cinnamon Bread
---------------------------

Ingredients:

1 c milk
6 tbs butter
2-½ tsp active dry yeast
2 eggs
⅓ c sugar
3-½ c flour
1 tsp salt
⅓ c sugar
2 tbs cinnamon
1 small apple, diced

1/3 c powdered sugar
1-2 tsp milk

Directions:

Melt butter with milk. Heat until very warm, but do not boil. Allow this to cool until still warm to the touch, but not hot. Sprinkle yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
Combine flour and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix sugar and eggs with the paddle attachment until combined. Pour in the warm mixture and stir to combine. Add half the flour and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the other half and beat until combined.
Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead the dough on medium speed for ten minutes. If dough is still sticky, add 1/4 cup flour and beat for another 5 minutes. Heat a metal or glass mixing bowl so it’s warm. Drizzle in the oil and toss the dough in the oil to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, place for about 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto the work surface. Roll into a neat rectangle no wider than the loaf pan you’re going to use. Spread on the 2 tablespoons of melted butter, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the dough and top with apples. Starting at the far end, roll the dough toward you, keeping it tight and contained. Pinch seam to seal. Coat the loaf pan with softened butter. Place dough, seam down, in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours. Mix a little egg with milk, and spread over the top. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees on a middle/lower rack in the oven.

After baking, remove the bread to cool and drizzle the top with icing, serve warm, enjoy and maybe even share a few slices!

Cinnamon Rolls…

2010-09-04T21:55:00.000-04:00

Oh my is there anything better than fresh from the oven, warm, gooey-with icing cinnamon roll? I have to admit, for a while now I have been wanting to make some homemade ones. Maybe it was a long-time coming or the promise of the 3-day weekend – but today my sister and I made cinnamon rolls. Not just any cinnamon rolls, "The Pioneer Woman's" cinnamon rolls, or her mothers to be exact, and boy were they good! I could probably eat my weight in these tasty little rolls, but for the sake of my wardrobe and my husband, I never will. The point is, the really weren't as hard as I had told myself they would be to make, and they were worth the effort they do take, but don't trust me make them for yourself, and maybe a few friends. Here's the recipe, you know you want to make them, oh yeah and FYI, this is a half batch version, with vanilla icing. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Rolls
-------------------

Ingredients:

Dough:
2 c milk
1/2 c oil
1 c sugar
1 pkg. active dry yeast
4 c flour, + 1/2 c separated
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tbs salt
1/2 c melted butter
1/2 c sugar
1 tbs cinnamon

Icing:
1 box of powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c milk
1 tbs melted butter
dash of salt

Directions:

Combine the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. “Scald” the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool, once the mixture is lukewarm sprinkle in the Active Dry Yeast. Let it sit for a minute, then add 4 cups of flour and stir until mixed. Cover and let rise for an hour.

After rising, add the last 1/2 cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together.Next, sprinkle your rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form it into a rectangle. Then roll the dough thin,and drizzle some melted butter over the dough and sprinkle 1/4 cup of sugar over the butter followed by the cinnamon. Starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough toward you. Try to keep the roll tight and even as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it. Butter a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls about ¾ to 1 inch thick and lay them in the pans. Repeat the process with the remaining dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 minutes and then bake at 400 degrees until light golden brown, about 17 minutes.

To make the icing, mix together the ingredients and stir until smooth. The icing will be thick but pourable, drizzle it over the warm rolls, and dig in!

Chicken Pot Pie…

2010-08-27T23:53:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't like Chicken Pot Pie? Years ago one of my friends always used to say, "Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Pot Pie" I can't really remember why, but he used to say it every time I saw him and thinking back now it still makes me laugh. Anyway we love pot pie and I had been thinking about making some for about a week, so I did. I have made it before, but I had never made my own crust. My sister gave me a recipe for pie crust and it was so good, not just the crust, but the whole pot pie! Since my first attempt at making pie crust was such a success, I will definitely make it again. So if you like pot pie, chicken or turkey, or whatever kind of meat you want to add or not add, try this recipe, trust me it's sure to be a hit! You might want to make two if you want to share or have a big crowd.

Chicken Pot Pie
------------------

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 1/4 c flour
1/2 c butter, diced
3 -4 tbs. ice water
1 egg white, whisked with 1 tbs. water (egg wash)

Filling:
1 c diced chicken
1/2 c mixed vegetables
1/4 c diced potatoes
1/2 c chicken stock
1 tbs. butter
2 tbs. flour

Directions:

To make the crust:
Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or two knifes, add the water in intervals until it is crumbly or sand-like. Then roll the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap, place in the refrigerator until your ready to roll out the crusts. When you're ready for the crusts, roll the bottom one out an inch or two larger than the top.

To make the filling:
In a frying pan over medium heat melt the butter and whisk in the flour, add the chicken stock and continue stirring. Add the chicken and vegetables and continue cooking until the mixture thickens. Fill the pie crust and top with the second piece of crust, crimp the edges of the crusts together. Make a few slits in the top of the crust and brush with the egg wash. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Lemon-Lime Bars…

2010-08-21T21:37:00.000-04:00

One of my co-workers has been asking for lemon bars for a few weeks now, and I didn't want to disappoint her. Since I am always on the lookout for a new recipe when I ran across this one, I just couldn't resist. So I decided to make up some of these Lemon-Lime Bars and bring them into work. Well they were a huge success, because they were delicious! Sweet and tart with just enough of a crust to hold it all together. These refreshing little bites are a perfect summer dessert for yourself or to share!

Lemon-Lime Bars
---------------------

Ingredients:

Crust:

½ cups Butter
¼ cups Powdered Sugar
1 cup Flour
⅛ teaspoons Salt

Lime Filling:

½ c Sugar
1-½ Tbsp Lime Juice
1-½ Tbsp Flour
¼ tsp Baking Powder
1 Egg

Lemon Filling:

½ c Sugar
1-½ Tbsp Lemon Juice
1-½ Tbsp Flour
¼ tsp Baking Powder
1 Egg

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray an 8×8 baking pan. In an electric mixer, beat together butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until creamy. Turn the mixer down to low and slowly add the flour and salt. Mix until well combined. Press the dough into the pan and bake for 10 minutes. While the dough is baking, prepare the fillings. Mix together the ingredients for the lime filling and lemon fillings in a bowl. Spread the filling over the crust and bake for 20 minutes, or until the top is slightly golden brown. Let cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Broccoli Cheese Soup…

2010-08-14T22:23:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I know that this recipe isn't baked, but I have to admit it – I LOVE SOUP! I love it when it's cold outside, I love it when it rains, I even love it when it's summer and the humidity here is killing me, point is, I just plain LOVE SOUP! Well, with that said, whether you share my passion for liquid meals or not, trust me this is a good one, and with just a few ingredients, you'll whip this together in no time. Now that you're ready let's get started:

Broccoli Cheese Soup
-------------------------

Ingredients:

2 cups Chopped Broccoli
3 cups Chicken Broth
2 Tablespoons Butter
⅓ cup Onion, Chopped
⅓ cup Fresh Mushrooms, Chopped
2 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
⅔ cups Milk
1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
A few pinches of Pepper

Directions:

In a large pot over medium heat, simmer the broccoli in the broth for 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to get the broccoli into smaller pieces and thicken the broth. In a separate skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Then, add the onions and mushrooms, saute for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the flour and mix well, to result in a roux-like texture. Gradually add the milk and stir until thick. Next add the mixture to the broccoli and broth, stir well. Add the cheese, stirring until melted and the pepper. Viola – now you're done and ready to dig in, enjoy!

Cinnamon Swirl Cookies…

2010-08-12T01:23:00.000-04:00

While we were away on vacation my dear sister bought me some Saigon Cinnamon. Well as you may know we love cinnamon in our house, so I decided to try it out by making some cookies. I wasn't really in the mood to roll out cookie dough, so I decided to roll the dough into pinwheels instead. These cookies are quick and easy to make, and the cinnamon sugar on top gives them just the finish they need – "cinna-licious" as my husband put it. So if you like cinnamon, you should give these cookies a try. Right now! and enjoy.

Cinnamon Swirl Cookies
-----------------------------

Ingredients:

6 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 c and 1 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 c all-purpose flour

2-1/4 tsp superfine sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 egg white, beaten

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375º F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in 1 tsp of cinnamon, baking powder, egg, and vanilla. Stir in flour by hand using a wooden spoon, as the dough will be stiff. Roll out tsp sized pieces of dough into 6 inch long ropes. Curl the dough in a spiral shape to make a swirl cookie. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Brush cookies with egg white. Mix together the remaining cinnamon and superfine sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle this over the swirls. Bake cookies for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Oat Macadamia Banana Muffins…

2010-08-04T23:21:00.000-04:00

Well we just got back from a wonderful, exciting, week-long vacation. It was nice to relax, take it easy and spend sometime with family, but after a week of no cooking – I was really looking forward to some time in the kitchen. When we headed home from the beach, my mother-in-law sent some fruit home with us and so I decided to bake some banana muffins. This recipe was a combination of a few of my favorite things: bananas, chocolate, oats and macadamia nuts! It might seem like an odd combination, but I thought that it would be delicious and it was. Despite the long, convoluted name, they are really easy to make and only take about 20 minutes to bake. So if you are feeling like a little something different, get up, head to the kitchen and make these tasty, little muffins!

Chocolate Chip Oat Macadamia Banana Muffins
---------------------------------------------------------

Ingredients:

3 bananas
1 egg
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c oil
1/2 applesauce
1 c flour
1 c of oats
1/4 c chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 c chocolate chips
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375º F. Mash the bananas and add them to the bowl of your mixer. Beat together the banana, egg, sugar, vanilla, oil and applesauce on medium speed. Add the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda at low speed and beat until moist. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips, then spoon the mixture into muffin pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, until tester comes out clean. Try and wait a few minutes to let them cool – you know, so you don't burn your tongue.

Lemon Curd & Tartlets…

2010-07-17T21:06:00.000-04:00

Yeah that's right I said lemon curd! Alright, so it may sound a little weird, but trust me, it is good. If your wondering what possessed me, well my sister and I had the joy of throwing a baby shower for my brother's wife. Inspired by the fabulous Mrs. Amy Atlas, we decided it should be a dessert extravaganza. So when I saw a recipe for adorable, little lemon burst tartlets, I just had to make them! If you know me then you know I like to make things myself, so of course when I realized the recipe called for lemon curd, I first I had to find out exactly what it was and second figure out how to make it. Thank you internet and your vast compilation of recipes for anything, basically - Lemon Curd is a delicious mix of lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, butter and eggs. With so few ingredients, which you most likely have hand, this recipe is one you should try. Also, if your interested, also below is the recipe for the lemon burst tartlets.

Lemon Curd
---------------

Ingredients:

6 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon zest

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, about 2 min. Slowly add the eggs and yolks. Beat for 1 min. Mix in the lemon juice. The mixture will look curdled, but it will smooth out as it cooks. In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat until it looks smooth. (The curdled appearance disappears as the butter in the mixture melts.) Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 15 min. It should leave a path on the back of a spoon and will read 170°F on a thermometer. Don't let the mixture boil. Remove the curd from the heat; stir in the lemon zest. Transfer the curd to a bowl. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming and chill the curd in the refrigerator. The curd will thicken further as it cools. Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 2 months.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Lemon Burst Tartlets
-------------------------

Ingredients:

2 packages frozen miniature phyllo tart shells
10 ounces lemon curd
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
30 fresh blueberries or raspberries

Directions:

Bake shells according to package directions; cool completely on a wire rack. In a large bowl, combine the lemon curd, whipped topping until smooth. Pipe or spoon lemon mixture over filling. Garnish each with a blueberry or raspberry,whatever you prefer. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 30 servings.

I hope that you enjoy the lemony deliciousness of the curd, the tartlets or both!

Chocolate Zucchini Snack Cake…

2010-07-09T20:12:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I found this recipe in my Healthy Cooking Magazine the other day and I decided that I should try it. I mean, I've seen a lot of recipes for breads and cakes using zucchini, but I had never tried them before. Well I had some squash in the fridge and I really needed to use it or it was going to go to waste, so I thought it was time! I rounded up all the ingredients, whipped it together and put it in to bake. Thirty minutes later there it was, my first chocolate zucchini dessert, and it was yummy. My co-workers loved it, they ate every piece, except of course for the one I saved for my sister. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did, so here it is:

Chocolate Zucchini Snack Cake
-------------------------------------

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter, softened
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups shredded zucchini
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add eggs; mix well. Beat in the buttermilk, applesauce, chocolate and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; beat into butter mixture just until moistened. Stir in zucchini. Transfer to a 9 x 13 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

After they cool dig in, and enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Bars…

2010-07-01T22:44:00.000-04:00

Happy July! It's silly I know, but it's something my sister and I do each month, we wish each other a "Happy" month. Anyway on to the goodies, I came across these wonderful little treats in the tasty kitchen blog email last week and I had to have them. We moved recently and in the packing/unpacking process I discovered I have a problem – I buy peanut butter way to often. I mean whenever it is on sale I just can't resist, so all in total I have 7 jars of peanut butter and I thought, ok I have to make something. I mean I love chocolate and I love oatmeal, so it wasn't really a matter of if I was going to make them, it was more like when? Well Sunday was my last week teaching the 7 yr old children at church and I wanted to make them something special and yummy. You know a treat to remember me by, or something like that. Well since there are only a few ingredients, which you probably have on hand, you should probably get up and go make these right now – because they are good! And very easy, here's the recipe:

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Bars
---------------------------------------------

Ingredients:

¾ cup Butter
½ cup Packed Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 cup Quick Cooking Oats
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
½ cup Peanut Butter

Directions:

Melt butter in a large sauce pan over low heat. Stir in brown sugar, vanilla, and oats. Cook
for 3 to 4 minutes. Press half of mixture into the bottom of a buttered 8 x 8 dish.
In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the chocolate and peanut butter, stirring every 30
seconds until melted and blended. Pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over the crust,
reserving a couple of spoonfuls to drizzle over the top.
Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate and peanut butter, pressing gently to
form a crust. Drizzle the remaining chocolate and peanut butter over the top of the bars.
Refrigerate for 3 hours before cutting and serving.

Go on. Go make yourself and someone else very happy and remember, enjoy!

Citrus Blueberry Muffins…

2010-06-26T23:10:00.000-04:00

If you read this, then you know I love muffins, assuming anyone actually does read this! Anyway, back to muffins – what I love about muffins is that they are self contained, and they can be made in cute little papers or miniatures, in so many different varieties. I have been wanting to try an orange-type muffin, I was a little apprehensive, not sure if I would like an orange-flavored bread. So when I came across this recipe in one of my cooking magazines, I decided I just had to try it, slightly modified of course. You know what? I liked it, and so did my co-workers! Needless to say if you like citrus and blueberries and you want some muffins, you should probably go mix up a batch. And the best part they don't take long to bake. Go on, get baking and enjoy.

Citrus-Blueberry Muffins
-----------------------------

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, salt and baking soda. In a small bowl, whisk the
egg, orange juice, applesauce and orange peel. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.

Transfer into a muffin pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Waffles…

2010-06-14T20:24:00.000-04:00

Belgian Waffles, that is! we love Brinner in our house, so much so that we eat it every Monday – and we love waffles! So tonight it only seemed fitting to make these Belgian Waffles, which according to my husband are the best. Just the other day we had the what makes it a "Belgian Waffle" debate, the shape or the recipe? So I did a little reading, and it is in fact the size and waffle grid that attribute to it's name, although a lighter, airy batter is another factor. Whether you use a pancake/waffle mix or you make them from scratch, if you like waffles you should give this recipe a try, it's pretty tasty!

So here it is, go mix yourself up a batch and top it with butter, maple syrup, whipped cream, fresh fruit or even ice cream… whatever your heart desires!

Belgian Waffles
------------------

Ingredients:

2.5 cups All purpose flour sifted
4 tablespoon Sugar
2 teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3 large Eggs separated
2 cups Milk
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Directions:

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks, add milk and vegetable oil, and vanilla mix and then add the sifted dry ingredients.

In a small bowl, beat the egg whites to a thick foam and add them gently to your preparation. Your batter is ready. Cook your waffles following the instructions of your waffle maker.

Serve waffles hot, immediately after cooking. Enjoy :)

Banana Bread…

2010-06-04T21:47:00.000-04:00

I love bananas! and I love bread! So what's not to love about banana bread? I have been making this recipe for years now, my dear grandmother once gave me a cookbook called "1,001 Low-fat Recipes" and I have been using this recipe, slightly modified, ever since. It's a tasty bread, that you can customize with cranberries, nuts or even chocolate chips. It can even be made into delicious little mini-muffins if you like. And since it's low-fat you won't feel guilty when you eat 2 or 3 slices, I just love the top crust of this bread. Now get off the computer, go to the kitchen and make this bread, because if you like bananas you're gonna love this recipe!

Banana Bread
----------------

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c mashed banana (about 3 medium bananas)
2 egg whites
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c oil
1/2 applesauce
2 1/4 c all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375º F. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the banana, egg whites, sugar, vanilla, oil and applesauce. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in another bowl, stir until well mixed. Beating on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, beat until moist. Spread into the loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack. Enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Roll Surprise…

2010-05-27T22:39:00.001-04:00

That's right – another cinnamon recipe, oh come on you know you love them too! I was having my weekly dinner with my sister and she was telling me she had some cinnamon rolls in the fridge that she needed to use and a few apples, so we whipped this together. Let me just say this was a great idea on my sister's part – and it turned out looking pretty cool too (although not how either of us envisioned it originally) plus it was tasty! Ok so if you are feeling like some apples and some cinnamon and a whole lot of sweet, here's the recipe:

Apple Cinnamon Roll Surprise
------------------------------------

Ingredients:

2 cans 5-count cinnamon rolls
2 small apples
4 0z cream cheese
1/2 c powdered sugar
3 tsp milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven according to cinnamon roll package directions. In a bowl combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk and beat until smooth, about a minute or two with an electric mixer. Break the cinnamon rolls in half and form into strips, pinch the strips together at the middle and place on baking sheet. Peel and slice the apples thinly. Top the dough with a layer of sliced apples, then the cheese mixture and another layer of sliced apples. Join the strips of dough in an alternating braiding fashion, bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool five minutes, ice the top of the rolls with packaged cinnamon roll icing. Serve warm and enjoy!

Congo Bars…

2010-05-20T23:08:00.000-04:00

Or maybe you can call them "Blondies" or "Cookie Bars". But whatever you call them they are tasty! and if you are still shaking your head and thinking what is she talking about? I am talking about a bar dessert similar to brownies, but without the cocoa, like a chocolate chip cookie but not. My aunt used to make these for us when I was a kid, and I saw them again a week ago on Bakerella's website and I just had to make them. My husband loved them, my co-workers loved them and a friend of mine was very excited to receive an unexpected treat. Needless to say, this is one recipe to hold onto and make again and again!

Plus they are easy to make and only have a few ingredients, and you know I love that! The batter is thick and a little hard to spread, but boy is it worth it when they come out of the oven. Promise me you will try these, and if you are feeling a little adventurous, swap the chocolate chips for your favorite chocolate candy, you will not be disappointed! Well now that I have you all fired up and ready to bake, all you need is the recipe (and the ingredients of course), so here it is:

Congo bars

-------------

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 lb. light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
11.5 ounce package milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
Stir brown sugar into softened (not melted) butter in another large bowl until butter disappears. You can use the back of your spoon to help incorporate the two together.
Add eggs one at a time to butter mixture and stir well after each egg.
Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. Mix well.
Add dry flour mixture and stir until well combined.

Coat a 13 X 9 pan with non-stick spray and spread batter evenly into dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Make sure you don’t over bake.

FYI: If the bars aren't done in 30 minutes and the tops feel like they are getting too brown, then place a sheet of aluminum foil on top and bake a little longer. Use a toothpick to check the doneness before removing from the oven. Also make sure you sifted the dry ingredients and used room temp butter, not melted. The batter should be thick. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Roll Muffins…

2010-05-17T21:35:00.000-04:00

Ok so you might be thinking, is cinnamon the only thing she bakes? No, it is not! But it is my husband's favorite :) With that said I wanted to bake something that he would want. After searching for days, I finally decided on this yummy recipe for cinnamon roll muffins. I love cinnamon rolls, oh how I do, and you know that I love muffins! Well I started making the recipe (like I tend to do sometimes) and I didn't check to see if I had all the ingredients, no eggs! Insistent that this would not ruin my baking, I continued on without them.

I admit, I was skeptical about the whole no egg thing, but they were delicious! So if you are feeling like you could go for some cinnamon rolls, then you should probably get up right now and go make these muffins. Don't worry they are easy, and pretty quick too. Here is the recipe, the original one. If you don't have any eggs either, then just leave it out and add a 1/4 c of water like I did. Oh and I didn't use the cardamom either, because I definitely don't have any of that!

Cinnamon Roll Muffins
----------------------------

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons instant yeast
2/3 cup warm milk (100-110 degrees F)
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten

For the topping/filling
2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
2/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cardamom

For the glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
3-4 Tablespoons heavy cream or half and half

Directions:

Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Dissolve the yeast into a measuring cup with the warm milk, then add to the flour mixture along with the vanilla, vegetable oil, and egg.Stir until very smooth.

Divide among 12 greased muffin tins, and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamon with a fork. Divide the mixture among the muffins, using a fork to swirl it into the batter.

Place in a cold oven, then set the temperature to 350. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the muffins are lightly browned around the edges, and they spring back with lightly pressed.

Allow to cool slightly; meanwhile make the glaze. Combine the confectioner's sugar with the cream, stirring well to combine. Drizzle over muffins before serving.

Brownies…

2010-05-08T23:20:00.000-04:00

Oh how I love brownies, they are definitely my favorite baked chocolate dessert! With that said the last time I tried to make brownies from scratch was probably 6 or more years ago, after much searching and deliberation I opted to give this recipe a try. I found this recipe on Tastespotting, it is the "King Arthur Flour Fudge Brownie" recipe. Well after I read the description it sounded too good not to try, and since my mom requested brownies for her Mother's Day dessert. I thought what better time than now to try my hand at made from scratch brownies, let me just say this recipe changed my mind about buying brownie mix, I think from now on these will be my go-to!

My family absolutely loved them, well everyone but my brother, they are very rich. To quote my nephew, "they are chocolatey-delicious." Ok so now that I have talked them up, you might want to try them for yourself, go on, give them a try, here is how to make them:

King Arthur Flour Fudge Brownies
-----------------------------------------

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan
In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it's hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.
While the sugar heats a second time, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth.
Add the hot butter/sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.
Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips.
Pour the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan.
Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.

Caramel…

2010-05-04T21:26:00.000-04:00

I love caramel, and you know I love a good recipe with only a few ingredients! This one comes to you by way of La Fuji Mama, her blog is one that I frequent often. When I saw that she had a caramel recipe I just couldn't resist giving it a try, I even went out and bought a candy thermometer so I could!

With the help and support of my sister, we made our very first batch of caramel. I was so excited to see it turn out, although my lack of experience with candy making did result in a harder than intended result. Next time I make the, I am going to cook just to the soft ball stage. Caramel attempt #1= a little too firm to chew, but not quite officially hard candy. They reminded me (and my friends that willing taste-tested them) of a "Werther's". I just want to thank La Fuji Mama, and her mother-in-law for this delightful recipe, and I assure you that I will master the art of caramel making.

So now that you are salivating and wishing you had some Werther's in your pantry, here is the recipe so you can go make your own.

La Fuji Mama's Creamy Caramels
---------------------------------------

Ingredients:

2 cups granulated sugar
8 ounces butter
1 3/4 cups light corn syrup
14 1/2 ounces evaporated milk
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Butter a 9×13-inch pan and set aside. Place the granulated sugar, butter, light corn syrup, and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan (minimum size of 3 quarts) and cook over high heat while stirring until the mixture reaches 210 degrees Fahrenheit. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking and stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 245 degrees Fahrenheit (firm ball stage). Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla and stir quickly. Pour the caramel into the buttered 9×13-inch pan and set aside to cool. When the caramel has cooled completely, cut into squares and wrap in waxed paper.

Lime Blueberry Muffins…

2010-05-01T00:37:00.000-04:00

MUFFINS! Let me just say that I love muffins! I love fruit ones, cinnamon ones, chocolate ones, oh how I love them :) So my hubby and I were watching TV and I was flipping through a cooking magazine and there they were, calling out to me – lemon blueberry muffins. I just had to make them, so I went into the kitchen and started pulling out the ingredients and making the muffin batter. Then I realized that I didn't have my lemon juice, so I substituted it for lime, and it was a happy accident, so delicious! To quote my boss, "they are like little lime blueberry crack". Flattered I was and really happy too. I love making people happy with the food I bake, because it makes me happy too. Anyway so here's the recipe, go make yourself and others happy too!

Lime Blueberry Muffins

----------------------------

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup 2% milk
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Dash salt
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Glaze:

1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the milk, lime juice. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, lime juice, butter and vanilla; drizzle over warm muffins.

Makes one dozen regular muffins or about 36 mini-muffins

I No-Baked…

2010-04-23T21:41:00.000-04:00

If you know me, then you know I don't like cookies. And if you don't, you are probably thinking, seriously she doesn't like cake or cookies? What is wrong with this girl? Well the truth is I like so few cookie-types, it is just easier to say I don't like cookies. With that said, my favorite cookie – if you can call it that, is a "no-bake cookie". Long ago when I was a child my mom taught me how to make these, I think the recipe used to be on the cocoa container, I just really can't remember.

so after about a month of craving no-bakes I finally broke down and made some, I can't remember the original recipe from all those years ago, but this one turns out good and they are tasty. Here's the recipe:

No-Bake Cookies

--------------------

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup milk
1/2 pinch salt
1-1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a saucepan bring sugar, cocoa, margarine, milk, and salt to a rapid boil for 1 minute.
Add quick cooking oats, peanut butter, and vanilla; mix well.
Working quickly, drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper, and let cool.

Makes one dozen, so you might want to double it if you plan to share, enjoy!

Bread 1 - The beginning…

2010-04-19T21:44:00.000-04:00

I baked bread! Well my dear friend and I did. I have been wanting to learn how to bake bread for a while now, and I still have a lot of learning to do. But I was pretty excited that my first attempt was a success and it was delicious. I read over dozens of recipes and finally decided on this one. Let's just consider this round one in my quest to bake fresh bread, stay tuned for more to come.

Bread 1

---------

Ingredients:

1 cup milk 
1 cup water
 1/4 cup butter
4-5 cups all purpose flour 
3 T sugar
 1 tsp salt
 2 pkgs. active dry yeast

Directions:

Combine milk, water and butter in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until liquids are very warm to the touch, about 120 degrees, butter does not need to melt completely. In mixer bowl, place 3 cups of the flour, along with the remaining dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until well blended. Gradually add the warm milk mixture. Mix until well blended.
Gradually begin adding the remaining 1 to 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is firm, clings to the hook, and cleans the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto counter top and knead a few times.

Place in a large greased bowl and allow to rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. Turn out, and divide into rolls or loaves, whichever you choose. Place bread in a warm place and allow to rise for another 20-30 minutes. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. *

*Also you can brush with butter while still warm to produce a nice soft crust.

Go give it a try, you just might enjoy getting your hands a little sticky.

Breakfast Pizza…

2010-04-15T22:52:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we flew to Dallas to visit family and this week has been so busy, but I wanted to make something, so for dinner one night I decided to try my hand at Breakfast Pizza. Let me just say in my house we love brinner, truly we have it at least once a week! Breakfast Pizza was something that my hubby had on our honeymoon one morning, and I thought, I can make that, so I did!

I used refrigerated pizza dough, because we were hungry, but in my defense I did make fresh home fries. So here's what I used, and you could change the ingredients if you want more or different toppings.

Breakfast Pizza

-------------------

Ingredients:

Pizza dough
cheese sauce
shredded cheese
scrambled eggs
maple sausage

Directions:

Once you cook the eggs and sausage it's pretty much just assembling, which is quick and easy!
Roll out the dough on a pizza pan or stone, top with cheese sauce, shredded cheese, eggs, sausage and more cheese. Bake at 400 for 12 minutes, let cool and enjoy!

Individual Scalloped Potatoes…

2010-04-06T23:02:00.000-04:00

You might be thinking to yourself she usually bakes desserts, but these looked to good not to try. I was checking out the Tasty Kitchen blog earlier during a free second, and stumbled across these scrumptious little potato bites. And you know what? My hunch was right (and my husband agrees) these were fantastic! So go to your fridge and make sure that you have the ingredients: ham, potatoes, shredded cheese, butter, scallions/onion. You know I can't resist a short list ingredient recipe, so here it is:

Individual Scalloped Potatoes
-----------------------------------

Ingredients:

3 whole medium potatoes
1/2 stick butter (or a whole, if you like a lot)
1 cup shredded cheese
½ cups onion/scallions, chopped
12 teaspoons milk
salt and pepper

Directions:

Pierce potatoes with fork, sprinkle with salt, wrap in damp paper towel and microwave for 10 minutes. Potatoes should be firm. Set aside and let cool till they can be handled, then slice.

Place small pats of butter in each mold of a muffin/cupcake pan, then a slice of potatoes, a pinch of salt and pepper, then cheese and onion/scallions. Repeat layers: potato, salt & pepper, cheese, scallions. 2 layers is about all that should fit. Top each mold with another pat of butter and drizzle each with 1 tsp of milk.

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and potatoes are brown.

Then try to wait for them to cool, this will be hard, because your whole kitchen will smell DELICIOUS! But boy are they worth the wait.

Easter Egg Bird Nests…

2010-04-03T23:25:00.000-04:00

Ok. So technically I did not bake these, but they are so cute, I just had to make them. I came across these little cuties on the Tasty Kitchen section of The Pioneer Woman's website, so I decided to make them for my family for Easter. Here is the recipe if you want to give them a try yourself. Plus I like that there weren't a lot of ingredients.

Easter Egg Bird Nests

--------------------------

Ingredients:

12 ounces, weight Package Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
8 ounces, weight White Chocolate Almond Bark
1 cup Smooth Peanut Butter
12 ounces, weight Package Chow Mein Noodles
10 ounces, weight Package Mini Candy Eggs (I used Reese's Pieces eggs)

Directions:

In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and white almond bark. Microwave for a 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each 30 seconds. Repeat the process until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Then add the peanut butter and mix well. Next add the chow mein noodles and stir until all noodles are well coated.

Tear off 2 feet of waxed paper. Using a ¼ cup measure, scoop out some of the chocolate noodle mixture. Drop mixture onto the waxed paper. Use a spoon to finish shaping the nests. Our nests were 3-4” in diameter. Use the back side of a spoon or scoop to make the “bowl” of each nest. Drop 3-4 candy eggs into each “bowl” of the nest.

When nests have hardened, remove them from the waxed paper and transfer to a pretty serving dish.

Apple Cinnamon Danish Braid…

2010-04-01T21:33:00.000-04:00

So I ran across this recipe probably 1 1/2 to 2 months ago and then it took me a few days to track it down again, because I look at so many websites daily, weekly that sometimes I don't know what I have looked at. I'm not a cream cheese fan, but I do like cheese danish, and what could make that better than apples and cinnamon :)

I will say that I didn't make the dough, I know that makes it less impressive, but trust me it's pretty so it was worth the cheat. You start with a can of Pillsbury original bread sticks, are you with me? You unroll the dough and seam the two pieces horizontal together into one long rectangular dough, make sure that the ends of the dough are separated for the braiding.

Next you spread the filling down the center, start with the cheese mixture and top with fruit of your choice; fresh, frozen or cooked down, like my apples & cinnamon. Then you braid the dough right to left or left to right, whatever you prefer, make sure to pinch the ends into the dough to keep all the yummy filing inside. Finally brush with egg white and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, bake at 350º for 20 minutes. Cool and enjoy, once it's done baking, it smells like heaven!

Note: because I did the cinnamon sugar sprinkle, I opted not to do the glaze, but it would be good if this were strawberry or blueberry or any berry!!!

and here's the recipe:

Fruit & Cheese Braid

-------------------------

Ingredients :

6 oz of low fat cream cheese
1 egg - separated
3 tbsp of powder sugar
1/2 cup fresh or frozen fruit sliced
1 (11 oz) tube of bread stick dough

Glaze

1/2 cup of powder sugar
2 tbsp of lemon juice

Directions:

1) Preheat over to 350 degree F. In a bowl combined soft cream cheese, powder sugar and
egg yolk. Mix until well combined.

2) Remove breadstick dough from the tube, unroll it and separate the dough and you will have
two rectangles. Join the dough up by placing both dough rectangles horizontally on a lightly
greased baking sheet. Press the steam together.

3) Spread cream cheese mixture onto the centre of the dough. Sprinkle the blueberry on top of
the cream cheese. Separate the dough perforations up to the cheese mixture
(You might need a scissors for this) Slightly pull and stretch the dough strips.

4) Start from the top and bring and braid dough strip to cover the filling. Make sure to tuck
and seal both ends of the loaf.

5) Beat the egg white and brush it all over the loaf. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool the loaf.

6) Combined the powder sugar and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle all over the
cool loaf before serving.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel…

2010-03-29T22:37:00.000-04:00

This was my interpretation of a chocolate muffin recipe, converted for my hubby who loves cinnamon and sugar. I mean, who doesn't love cinnamon? It takes me back to my childhood when cinnamon & sugar toast was a daily desire. Plus there is oatmeal in the recipe, one of my personal favorites – it's healthy, it's tasty and it fills you up, so basically its amazing! But back to the muffins, side note: I always make regular size and mini, because the mini are just so cute!

These muffins turned out to be delicious, and very impressive looking, I think streusel has a way of making even the simplest dish look more chic. Like I said the recipe is an adaptation of another, but just in case you want to try it, here it is:

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Muffins:

1 & 1/4 c flour
1 c oats
1/2 c cinnamon chips
2 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c buttermilk
3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c cooking oil
1 large beaten egg

Steusel topping:

1/3 c sugar
1/4 c flour
2 tbsp. of cinnamon
2 tbsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 350º
Spray muffin pan or mini muffin pan

To make streusel:

Combine the 1/3 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of flour, 2 tablespoons of cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Set this mixture aside to top the muffin batter.

To make muffins:

First combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and in a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients, next mix the wet ingredients into the dry, stir until well blended. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter, top with steusel and bake. Let cool 5 minutes and enjoy warm, delicious cinnamon goodness!

Lemon Bars…

2010-03-29T20:54:00.000-04:00

Need I say more? This little gem is something I ran across a while ago on one of my favorite sites, bakerella.com When I grow up I want to be a baker like her, she is inspiring, but back to the lemon bars. so I keep thinking about them and finally decided, why wait? seize the day and make them now!

So I did, when visiting over at my sister's house, she loves lemon bars too, we made the day dreams a reality. And boy was it a tasty reality! My family and friends know me as kind of a health freak, which for the most part I am. But bread and sweets are my weakness, I mean everyone has one, I can just admit mine :)

Lemon Bars
--------------
Crust:
1 cup butter
1 3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup confectioner's sugar (plus more for dusting)

Topping:
1 1/2 cup plain sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease and flour a 9 X 13 pan

To make crust:

* In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and confectioner's sugar
* Cut in butter until combined and crumbly.
* Press mixture into bottom of pan.
* Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

To make topping:

* While crust is baking, prepare topping.
* In a larger bowl, add sugar, flour, and baking powder.
* Then add slightly beaten eggs and lemon juice.
* Mix well and pour on top of warm baked crust.
* Bake for 20-25 minutes.
* When cool, dust with confectioner's sugar and refrigerate.
* Cut into bars and enjoy them cold!

TRUST ME! You want to try these, waiting will only make you want them more. Enjoy, I know I did!

Valenminis…

2010-03-27T00:35:00.000-04:00

So "Valenminis" were the treat I finally decided on for my co-workers. Really they are just mini funfetti cupcakes with pink-vanilla icing and cute little heart sprinkles on top. Deceptively small and quite delicious I am told!

What? you're thinking?

Ok, I admit it, I don't like cake! I know right now you are questioning my baker credibility, maybe even my my patriotism, but I said it… and I won't take it back! I don't like cake. But that doesn't mean I cant make cake, or cupcakes for that matter for those around me! And so for a Day-after-Valentine's Day treat I made my co-workers "Valenminis" and they were a hit! A one bit melt in your mouth reason to like Mondays, just in case your not seeing the vision, here is what they looked like.

Martha inspires me…

2010-03-26T23:33:00.000-04:00

What can I say Martha Stewart has style! Every once in a while I see something online or in her Living magazine and it makes me think, I can do that! Well this year Valentine's Day was one of those experiences. In Martha Stewart Living, February 2007 she explained how to make a heart shaped candy box, it was just too adorable to pass up. The crafty-bone inside me decided it was simple and so my lovely sister and I set out to make a few of our own. Lets just say Martha makes the big bucks for a reason, and I am not quiet as talented as the people in her organization. By now I know you are thinking, baking, I thought this was about baking, well I baked sugar cookies, my first time ever! And my husband enjoyed everyone of them, well the ones that didn't get over cooked. But hey, I never claimed to be a pro-baker, I'm still in training! I ended up making 3 boxes two that were 5 inch hearts and a big old twelve inch for my hubby. I filled it with hand made chocolate candies, buckeyes, conversation hearts and the only sugar cookie that was small enough to fit in the box. The 3 inch heart-shaped cookies turned out better than I expected. Check out the fruits of my labors, my sister and I enjoyed the time spent crafting and baking is just always so much fun. It gives me the peace and slow speed that my work just can't. Any way here are a few pictures of how it all turned out, it's no Martha, but I thought it all came out pretty well.

It all started…

2010-03-25T22:30:00.000-04:00

A few months ago I embraced my inner domestic diva and took up baking as a hobby. Since then my wonderful husband and generous co-workers have kindly and eagerly taste-tested my creations, good and bad. Here are a few of the earlies!