Glazed Poppy Seed Bread

I found this recipe on Pinterest and made some tonight without knowing that it was one of Ross' all time favorites! Score! Happy husband = happy wife!


Poppy Seed Bread 
Recipe adapted from Beneath My Heart (my additions indicated by *)

3 cups flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. salt
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups oil
1 1/2 T. poppy seeds
2 t. butter flavoring
2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp almond extract*

Mix together the above ingredients and beat for two minutes.
Fill 5 or 6 mini-loaf pans 2/3 to 3/4 full.
Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Glaze
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 tsp almond extract*
1/2 t. butter flavoring

Mix in a glass measuring cup. Pour over hot bread when removed from the oven. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Fluffy Oatmeal Cookies

I found this recipe for oatmeal cookies and then altered it to my liking. I prefer to use half shortening and half butter for a fluffier cookie. They. Were. Great...So great that Ross was supposed to take them to work and we ended up eating them all on our own :\  I definitely need to keep track of this recipe!

You'll need:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups quick cooking oats
Optional: Chocolate chips, raisins, nuts

Make them:
1. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour. 

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Using a small ice cream scoop, place dough onto cookie sheet. You could also roll into tablespoon sized balls.  

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

A friend of mine made this the other day and HOLY MOLY. It's so fab! And easy! And amazingly bake-free!


Chocolate Eclair Cake
adapted from allrecipes.com

1 sleeve graham crackers
2 packages instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups milk
1 small tub of cool whip
1/2 can chocolate fudge frosting

Directions:

-Line the bottom of an 8x8 inch baking pan with graham crackers, doubling up where necessary.

-In a large bowl, combine the milk and vanilla pudding until no lumps remain. Fold in the whipped topping.

-Spread a layer of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers.

-Alternate the graham cracker and pudding layers up to the top of the pan.

-Microwave frosting, uncovered in the microwave for 1 minute on half power. Pour over the top of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving.

Photo source: mychocolatetherapy.blogspot.com

Butterbeer Cupcakes: Harry Potter Style

I can't wait to make these for my Harry Potter loving hubby! Honestly, I have no idea what Butterbeer is...I don't think I have ever even watched an entire HP movie (HP nerds gasp!), but I saw the recipe HERE and know that he will love it. I'll post pics once I get ambitious enough to make it, and by that I mean, as soon as the baby takes a super long nap because this looks like quite an involved recipe!

Butterbeer Cupcakes
Makes 18
.
For the cupcakes:
.
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup cream soda
.
For the ganache:
.
1 11-oz. package butterscotch chips
1 cup heavy cream
.
For the buttercream frosting:
.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup butterscotch ganache
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 16-oz. package powdered sugar
Splash of milk or cream (as needed)
.
For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine your flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, cream your butter until light and fluffy. Add your sugars and beat until well-combined. Beat in your eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then beat in your vanilla and butter flavoring.
.
Alternate adding your buttermilk, cream soda, and dry ingredients in batches until all are well incorporated. Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full, then bake for 15 to 17 minutes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and cake springs back to the touch. Cool completely on wire racks.
.
For butterscotch filling: In a double boiler (heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water on the stove), combine butterscotch chips and heavy cream and stir until completely combined and smooth. Cool to room temperature. Fill a squeeze bottle with ganache and insert into the center of each cupcake, squeezing until filling begins to overflow.
.
For buttercream frosting: Cream butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add in ganache, vanilla, butter flavoring, and salt and mix until well combined. Beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until reaching desired consistency. Add milk or cream by the Tablespoon as needed. Frost cupcakes and top with a drizzle of butterscotch ganache.
.

Millionaire Toffee Bars

I was watching Food Network the other day---big surprise, right? I saw a recipe for Millionaire Shortbread, so.... I put my own spin on it and have made it 3 times since then! It's a huge hit at Ross' office, too! I mean, layers of shortbread, homemade caramel, chocolate and toffee! What's not to love!?!?!

You need:

Shortbread layer-
1 cup all purpose flour
1 stick butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Caramel layer:
1 tbsp butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Topping:
1/2 bag milk chocolate chips
1/2 bag heath toffee crumbles

Make it:

-Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a 9x9 baking dish VERY WELL.

-In your food processor, combine flour, salt and sugar. Pulse to mix it. Add in butter and mix until it all comes together.

-Press into your buttered baking dish and bake until slightly golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. It will vary because of oven temps. You do not want to over cook this.


-Take out of the oven and let cool completely.

-Once the shortbread is cooled, you can make the caramel layer. In a sauce pan, melt one tbsp butter. Pour in your can of sweetened condensed milk and stir, stir, stir over medium heat. Stir and stir some more, until it thickens up and turns caramel colored. This will about about 15-20 minutes of lovin'.

-Pour your caramel over the cooled shortbread and smooth out as well as you can. Lick the spoon...and the pan...and the fingers...but wait until it's cooled or you will burn your tongue...and hand...and fingers...

-Let caramel cool at room temp until firm.

-Melt your chocolate chips in the microwave on half heat. Be careful not to burn it. I stir mine every 30 seconds. Or, if you're super-fancy-Paula-Dean-style, you can always use a double boiler. Whatev.

-Pour the chocolatey goodness over the caramel and sprinkle with toffee bits. Lightly press the toffee into the chocolate.

-Let it cool in the fridge until the chocolate is firm...not hard...just firm. Take them out and cut. You can put them back in the fridge now if you want, or you can park it in front of the tv, watch some more Food Network and eat the whole dish...up to you!

Sticky Buns

Make these. Trust me.

You need:

1 stick of butter, divided
1 cup brown sugar, divided
1 can refrigerated biscuits
1/2 pint fresh washed berries (I have used blueberries and blackberries)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon

Make it:

-In a cast iron skillet, melt 3/4 stick of butter. Add 1/2 cup of brown sugar and stir until bubbly and it starts to get caramely. I'm not totally sure if that's a real word...just go with it.


-Remove the pan from heat and arrange biscuits in skillet over the caramelized goodness.

-Sprinkle berries over the biscuits.

-In a food processor, mix remaining butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Mix until crumbly.

-Sprinkle the crumble over biscuits.

-Bake at 350. The time will vary. I added about 10 minutes to the directions on the can of biscuits. It will take longer than on the can, since the biscuits are all mashed up together.

-Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving. The sugary mixture stays really hot for a long time. *If you need to take a picture of them, you better be speedy...or your family might get to them first and only leave you a few to photograph*

Sweet Potato Cake Bread

I made this the other night and Ross had no idea he was eating whole wheat flour and sweet potatoes! (This may or may not have been to do with the cream cheese icing on top)It tastes a whole lot like carrot cake and Ross couldn't get enough! Yay!

You need---

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I got mine at Sprout's)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/3 cup water

1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Cream cheese icing (recipe follows)

How to make it--

-Combine sugar and oil; beat well. Add eggs and beat. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with water. Stir in sweet potatoes and chopped nuts.

-Pour batter into well greased 9x5 inch loaf pan (or 2 small loaf pans). Bake at 350 degrees F for about one hour, or until toothpick comes out clean. This will not rise up as much as you would expect. It pretty much stays flat on top, not rounded.

-Let cool and top with cream cheese icing.

Cream Cheese Icing

You need--

1/2 stick room temperature butter

1/2 block cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

splash of vanilla extract


How to make it--

-Cream together butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth.

-Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing as you combine. Continue adding powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. This may be slightly more or less than 2 cups.

Ice Cream Cone Cup Cakes (Cone Cakes)

Wow- I have got to think of a better name than that for this cheerful little treat!
edit: Ross just named them Cone Cakes :)


We had a BBQ at our house today (for our amazing MOPS mommas) so I had a great excuse to give these little puppies a try! Plus, tomorrow is my birthday, so the calories didn't count.

Ingredients
1 boxed cake mix, prepared
24 sugar ice cream cones
Icing
SpRiNkLeS!
Special equipment: 2 large disposable aluminum pans

1- Cut 12 holes in the bottom of each pan, large enough to securely hold the cones. Mine were far from perfect circles. Turn the pan upside down on a baking sheet. This is to give it more stability and to catch any drippies. Place one cone in each hole.


2- Fill each cone a little bit more than half way. DO NOT OVER FILL. Trust me...huge messes will result.

3- Bake according to box directions for cupcakes, adding about 5-7 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. I was concerned that the cones would burn, but they don't.

4- After cupcakes are cooled, ice and add sprinkles! Lots and lots of sprinkles!


5- Listen to everyone tell you that you're a genius...
even though you know the cupcakes were super easy to make!

PS: Isn't he the cutest little thing ever? His smile was contagious!

Sopapilla Chips

I absolutely love sopapillas. But, geeze, could they be any worse for you? I mean, deep fried tortillas! Really? So, I wanted to make something with just as much flavor, but way less fat. I came up with baked sopapilla chips! Yummy!


Ingredients
2 tbsp melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
5 flour tortillas
Honey for drizzle or dipping

Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with melted butter. Stack tortillas and cut into quarters. In a shallow bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon. Dredge both sides of the tortillas pieces in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Use your fingers and press sugar mixture into tortillas. Place tortillas on lightly sprayed baking sheet. Bake at 425 for about 10-12 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Serve while warm, drizzled with honey. Or, serve beside a small bowl of honey for dipping. Or...if you feel really frisky, eat over the sink while you drizzle and drip honey everywhere, like we did!

Pie Crust

When my sister was here recently, we made a peach pie with homemade pie crust. I've decided that homemade crust is FAR better than store bought and it costs way less to make it yourself. Plus, when you use your food processor it is super-duper easy!

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter chilled and diced
1/4 c ice water

Place flour and salt in food processor. Pulse until mixed. Add butter to flour mixture and pulse until it forms coarse crumbles like this.


Add water very slowly (like, one tbsp at a time) while the processor is on. Add water until the pie crust forms a ball. It's so cool!


Roll out dough to about 1/4 inch. I like to bake my pie crust for about 5 minutes at 350 before filling it. This way I'm sure it won't be soggy. Then, fill and bake according to pie directions.

Butterscotch Banana Muffins

My mom used to make these when we were growing up. They're so fabulous!

1 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup white sugar
2 ripe bananas
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees
-Puree oatmeal and sugar in food processor until fine
-Mix all dry ingredients and oatmeal mixture
-Puree bananas
-Add bananas and liquid ingredients to dry mix. Stir only until mixed. Don't over mix.
-Fold in butterscotch chips.
-Bake in sprayed muffin pan for 13-15 minutes

Pecan Brittle

No need for a candy thermometer with this easy recipe! My sister and I made it for my dad today. We made several batches and this is the recipe that we finally came up with. Yummy!

*Since all stoves cook at different heats, be certain to watch carefully to prevent burning. Trust me; it makes a stinky mess :)



Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups pecans (or other nuts)
2 tsp baking soda

Directions
-Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and butter.
-Heat sugar, butter and corn syrup on medium heat in sauce pan until mixture is dissolved and it starts to boil.
-Once it starts to boil, stop stirring and let boil for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.
-Let it cook a about one minute longer or until it has gotten one shade darker. This will happen quickly.
-Stir in vanilla and salt until well incorporated.
-Stir in pecans and cook until color is a rich golden brown, about one more minute.
-Remove from heat and add baking soda. It will get all foamy. Stir until color is even throughout.
-Pour immediately onto buttered foil and spread thin with a silicone spatula. (I sprayed mine with cooking spray to be extra careful.)
-Let cool. Break into pieces.

Moose Munch

I've been a baking machine lately! I loooove to put the baby down for a nap and then cook up a storm of sweets for Ross. This week I've been on a caramel corn kick. I started making if a few years ago and just remembered it! It's SO easy!

*The caramel that this makes is about the equivalent of super glue. You don't want it to get onto your counters or floor. It's a pain to clean up. Hot water works wonders.

Ingredients
1 bag of popped popcorn (not the super-buttery stuff)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lite brown syrup
1 stick real butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
Dried Cranberries (optional and amount to taste)
Pecan bits (optional and amount to taste)
White chocolate (optional and amount to taste)


Directions
-Put popcorn into a really large bowl. Be sure to pick out the un-popped kernels.
-In a microwavable bowl, put the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Microwave for 30 seconds, take out and stir.
-Microwave for 2 minutes. Take out and stir.
-Microwave for another 2 minutes, take out and stir. Then add the baking soda and vanilla. At this point, the caramel will bubble up like crazy. Keep stirring. Stir until it gets a little bit lighter in color and is well mixed. You'll know when.
-Pour all over popcorn and mix well.

If you like chewy caramel popcorn, follow these directions: Stir in cranberries, pecan bits and drizzle with chocolate. Spread onto a cookie sheet or aluminum foil. Do not, like me, spread it onto wax paper. The caramel is too hot and melts it. Trust me. Let popcorn cool and devour!

OR

If you like crunchy-crispy caramel popcorn follow these directions. Stir in cranberries and pecans. Spread onto baking sheet and bake at 300 for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Take out and drizzle with white chocolate. Let cool. Enjoy!

Holiday Treats

I was looking through my past blog posts to find some ideas for holiday treats to give away. Here's a list of what I found.

Thin Mint Knockoffs
Cakies
Oreo Truffles
Haystacks
Butterscotch Bars
White chocolate and cranberry cookies
Moose Munch Caramel Popcorn