Family Bites

Raspberry Buttercream Sandwich Cookies

2012-02-06T16:13:00.000-06:00

This is, by far, my favorite cookie from Martha Stewart's Cookies book. I love this vanilla-bean cookie. To be honest with you, I wouldn't even bother with making the buttercream filling. This cookie is spectacular enough to stand on its own. However, I feel like sandwich cookies are for special occasions and sometimes you need to have such a cookie.

The original version of this cookie calls for the filling to consist of pureed raspberries, sugar, heavy cream and white chocolate. For the life of me I could NOT get the white chocolate and heavy cream to mix together. I tried three times! The melted white chocolate would seize up when I added the heavy cream, which I figured it would. So, I just decided to stick with a tried and true buttercream. I made an easy raspberry buttercream before so I knew that it would work out perfectly. If you've made the original version of this cookie, please let me know. I'd love to hear if it worked for you.

Raspberry Buttercream Sandwich Cookies

cookie recipe from Martha Stewart's Cookies, buttercream recipe from Annie's Eats

Cookies:

1 3/4 C. all - purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

10 T. unsalted butter, softened (1 1/4 sticks)

1 1/2 C. sugar

1 egg, large

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.

Put flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk together until combined. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together and then mix for about 2 minutes on medium high. Add the egg, vanilla extract and the vanilla seeds. Mix until smooth and then reduce speed to low; gradually mix in the flour mixture.

Using a 1-inch ice cream scoop, drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets and bake 8-10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through the baking time. Let the cookies cool on wire racks.

For the buttercream filling:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

5-6 C. powdered sugar

1/2 C. seedless raspberry jam

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and jam together on medium-high speed until combined, around 2 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Once blended, spread about 1 T. of buttercream onto the bottom of one cookie and then sandwich with another. The cookies can be refrigerated between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temp. up to 2 days. You will probably have leftover buttercream. Enjoy at your leisure!

Sweetheart Jamwich Cookies

2012-02-01T10:03:00.000-06:00

These cookies, or jamwiches, hold a special place in our household. I only make them once a year for Valentine's Day and it's a tradition I started when Mr. Bites and I first started dating. These Sweetheart Jamwich Cookies were the first cookies that I ever baked for Mr. Bites and I firmly believe they might have helped 'seal the deal'.

These cookies are so addicting. Made out of refrigerated pie crust, they are just as easy as they are delicious. The cream cheese and jam filling lends a nice tang and tartness that is wonderful with the sweetness of the white chocolate that is drizzled over each cookie. I'm telling you, make these!

Our Wedding Favor

They made such an impression on us that I decided to include them in our wedding. Since I love to bake, I thought it would be so cute to give each of my guests a heart shaped cookie cutter. I also included the jamwich cookie recipe inside the card.

Sweetheart Jamwiches
recipe from a Southern Living magazine years ago (I think it was Feb. 2003, but not really sure)

1 (15 oz.) pkg. refrigerated pie crusts
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 T. granulated sugar
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 C. powdered sugar
2 T. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 jar seedless raspberry jam (you could use strawberry too!)
1/2 C. white chocolate chips
1 T. butter
Red sparkling sugar

Preheat oven to 400 and line baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.

Unfold pie crusts on a lightly floured surface and roll out to press out the fold lines. With a 2" heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out pieces of dough and keep re-rolling and cutting out the remaining dough until you have around 40-42 hearts. Brush 1 side of each heart with the egg white and sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Place each heart on prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 7-8 minutes or until the hearts are lightly browned. Remove the hearts to wire racks to cool.

While the hearts are cooling, In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar, 2 T. butter and almond extract until combined. Spread the cream cheese mixture on the un-sugared sides of the hearts, then spread about 1/2 tsp of the jam over the mixture. Top with another heart, un-sugared side down.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine the white chocolate chips and 1 T. butter and microwave on HIGH 1 minute or until melted. Stir it until it becomes smooth. Put the white chocolate mixture into a zip-loc bag and seal. Snip a tiny hole in one of the corners of the bag and drizzle over the heart shaped jamwich cookies. Sprinkle red sparkling sugar or what ever your heart desires and then let the cookies cool completely.

When I make this recipe, I usually get around 20-22 jamwich cookies.

Bourbon Bacon Chex Mix

2012-01-28T22:15:00.000-06:00

Bourbon and bacon. Two words that definitely fall into my "favorite" category. I have a weakness for Chex Mix too, so when I saw this Bourbon Bacon Chex Mix, I knew I had to have it in my life.

My mother had printed out the recipe for me many months ago. I kept putting the recipe to the side and thinking that I would get around to it. When my friend and fellow foodie, Leah, brought some into work one day, I soon found out that I shouldn't have waited so long to make this tasty snack. Since then, I've made it many times for tailgating and even as Christmas presents.

So if you are looking for something to make for Super Bowl weekend, make this. You and your friends will not be disappointed.

Bourbon Bacon Chex Mix

recipe from Pillsbury via So How's It Taste?

1 (15 oz) bag of Chex Mix traditional snack mix

1 C. pecan halves (I left them out this time only because I didn't have them on hand)

1/2 lb. bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1/2 C. packed brown sugar

1/2 C. butter

1/4 C. light corn syrup

2 T. bourbon (you could also use whiskey)

3/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder

Heat oven to 300. Line 2 large baking sheets (15x10x1) with foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine the Chex Mix, pecans, and crumbled bacon. Set aside.

In a 2-qt. saucepan, over medium heat, heat the brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup and stir occasionally until bubbly around the edges. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; remove from the heat. Cool the mixture for 2 minutes. Carefully stir in the bourbon and chipotle chili powder. Pour over the snack mixture and toss until it is all evenly coated.

Spread the snack mixture on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to caramelize mixture. Cool completely for about an hour and then break into pieces. Store in a covered container. (I store mine in a zip-loc bag, if it lasts long enough!)

Clementine Buttermilk Scones

2012-01-22T15:57:00.001-06:00

Don't let this boring, no frills picture deter you from making these delicious scones. Fighting daylight and a toddler's grubby little hands resulted in this not so picturesque blog post. But once you bite into one of these Clementine Buttermilk Scones, you will forget about ugly pictures, grubby little hands and quite possibly the pile of laundry that has been building for the past several days.

I love this scone recipe and what is great about it is that you can substitute any citrus zest and juice in the recipe. Orange. Lemon. Lime. Even grapefruit scones would be good. The scone itself is not that sweet, but that's OK because the wonderful glaze on top gives the scone the right amount of sweetness it needs.

Clementine Buttermilk Scones

recipe from And Now for Something Completely Delicious

1/2 C. butter, cold and then cubed

1/2 C. buttermilk

1 egg

1 T. clementine zest

3 T. freshly squeezed clementine juice, divided

2 C. AP flour

3 T. sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Preheat your oven to 375.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the clementine zest and mix well. Add the cold cubed butter and cut into the flour mixture with a fork or a pastry blender until the butter is about the size of peas.

In another mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and 1 tablespoon of the clementine juice. Then add the mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together.

Lightly flour a clean surface and gently pat dough out into the shape of a disk. Be careful not to make the disk too big, as your scones will be flat. I patted my dough out to around 1 inch thick. I then took a serrated knife and cut into 8 wedges. Brush the tops of the wedges with eggwash and place the wedges on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

To make the glaze:

Take 1 C. powdered sugar and the remaining clementine juice (2 T.) and mix together. Spoon the glaze over the scones while they are cooling, but still warm to the touch.

This recipe made 8 large scones.

Maple Pecan Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Buttercream

2012-01-17T14:09:00.000-06:00

These may not be the prettiest cupcakes I've made, but they are up there with some of the tastiest. When I saw these Maple Pecan Cupcakes on Paula Deen's website I knew that I had to make them. Even though I am not a huge pecan fan, I do enjoy a taste or two of butter pecan ice cream every now and then. And while I wasn't overly impressed with the actual cake part of the cupcake, the butter pecan buttercream was clearly what won me over. It really tastes like butter pecan ice cream. I made these to take to my in-laws for dessert one Sunday and they raved and raved over them. So try these if butter pecan is your thing!

Maple Pecan Cupcakes

recipe from Cupcake Project via Paula Deen

1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
3/4 C. finely crushed pecans
1 1/2 tsp.baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. pure maple syrup
1/2 C. unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 tsp.vanilla extract
2/3 C. whole milk
1 C. pecans, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together flour, crushed pecans, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the sugar and maple syrup and mix until fully combined. Then add the butter and mix on medium-low speed for about three minutes. Mix in the eggs and vanilla until just combined. Add the milk and mix until well incorporated. Fold in the chopped pecans.

Bake for 20 minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when lightly touched.

For the Butter Pecan Buttercream:
1 C. + 2 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1 C. roughly chopped pecans
Pinch salt
3 C. powdered sugar
1 T. + 1 tsp. vanilla extract

First prepare the butter pecans. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a small skillet over medium low heat, then add the pecans and salt to the pan. Cook for six to eight minutes (I ended up only needing 5 minutes as I felt like my pecans were going to burn), stirring periodically, until almost all of the butter is absorbed. Remove from heat, but leave in the skillet.

For the buttercream, in a medium-sized mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix remaining one cup of butter on medium-low speed for 3-5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Slowly mix in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and mix until fully combined. Add the vanilla extract and mix until incorporated. Scrape the cooled pecans and any butter left in the skillet into the frosting and fold in.

Spread or pipe with a large open tip onto cooled cupcakes.

This recipe made 18 cupcakes for me. They also seem to last several days in a covered container, if you have any left over.

Homemade Cheez-It-Ish Crackers

2012-01-07T21:27:00.001-06:00

I love cheez-its. So much so that I don't even buy them. Does that make sense? I don't buy them because I know I will eat them all. But when I saw this recipe on Tracey's Culinary Adventures, I was deeply intrigued. I made them immediately since I had all the ingredients and I must say, they are wonderful. As Tracey mentions, you could use most any cheese here, but I had a mild cheddar on hand and I thought they turned out quite nice. Mr. Bites said that they could have used more cayenne pepper, but I'm a wimp when it comes to spicy, so I was probably a little cautious with it. Maybe I'll add more for him next time. Who am I kidding, I probably won't! ;)

Cheez-It-Ish Crackers

Recipe from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan via Tracey's Culinary Adventures

8 T. Cold unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces

1/4 lb.Grated cheese
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Freshly ground pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 C. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour

Add the butter, cheese, salt, and both peppers to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until the butter is broken into smaller pieces and the mixture forms small curds. Add the flour to the food processor and pulse until curds form again.

Turn the dough onto your work surface and knead briefly to bring it together. Divide in half, shape each half into a log, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. (I chilled the dough overnight).
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Take each cheese dough log and slice 1/4'" slices and place on parchment lined or Silpat lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the crackers are firm and golden. I let the crackers cool on the cookie sheet for around 3-5 minutes then used a spatula to transfer the crackers to a wire rack to cool further.

The crackers are good warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container. They should be good for at least four days, if they last that long.

Peppermint Meltaways

2011-12-28T15:20:00.001-06:00

These peppermint meltaways scream "holiday season". With the buttery, sweet, pepperminty deliciousness these cookies offer, it's no surprise that they were among the favorites that were on our Christmas cookie platter this year. Since most of our cookies were so heavy with chocolate, caramel and other wonderful ingredients, these cookies were a nice, light change of pace. Plus, they really are festive with the crushed candy canes on top.

When we made these cookies, I think we rolled the dough a tad bit larger than 1" like the recipe says to do. I don't think it matters really, they just made slightly bigger cookies. However, next time I think I will pay more attention to rolling the dough into smaller portions, as these would be perfectly cute bite sized sweets.

Peppermint Meltaways

Recipe from Taste of Home

1 C. butter, softened

1/2 C. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

1 1/4 C. flour

1/2 C. cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, powdered sugar and peppermint extract until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and cornstarch and mix together until combined. Shape dough into 1" balls and place on parchment or silicone lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned on the bottom.

Frosting:

2 T. butter, softened

1 1/2 C. powdered sugar

2 T. milk

1/4 tsp. peppermint extract

Crushed peppermint candies for topping

Mix butter and powdered sugar together until combined. Then add milk and peppermint extract and blend well. Spread on top of cooled cookies and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies.

Grandma's Sugar Crinkles

2011-12-14T19:01:00.001-06:00

This cookie may look boring, but it's totally not. This is one of my favorite Christmas cookies from my husband's side of the family. My other favorite is this molasses cookie. No wait, it's this chocolate crinkle. Well, OK, so I can't decide which is my absolute favorite, but these Sugar Crinkles are definitely up there. It's a nice buttery cookie that's not too sweet with a slight crunch on the outside and soft on the inside. Yes, there's shortening in the cookie, but I think that is what makes it nice and soft. My bro-in-law actually adapted the original recipe, cutting down the amount of shortening and adding in the butter.

My mother-in-law has recipes from her mother and grandmother, so it's always a treasure to go through their old recipe box and find recipes that generations have loved. These cookies hold a special place in our hearts not only because we only make them during Christmas, but because it's a tasty walk down memory lane.

Oh look, a little visitor waiting to get her hands on a cookie and some Christmas decorations

Sugar Crinkles

1/2 C. shortening

1/4 C. butter, softened

1/2 C. brown sugar, packed

1 egg, large

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 C. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1/4 C. walnut pieces, finely chopped

1 T. granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Set aside.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the shortening, butter, and brown sugar until well blended. Add egg and mix until egg is incorporated. Then add vanilla extract and blend well. Add dry ingredients and mix until all in combined.

Chill the dough for several hours, preferably overnight. Once chilled, roll dough into walnut sized balls and dip into the crushed walnut/sugar mixture. Place on Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies turn light, golden brown.

Makes around 2 dozen.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

2011-12-11T21:48:00.001-06:00

This year I participated in the very first Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. I'd like to thank the masterminds behind this huge undertaking, Lindsey from Love and Olive Oil and Julie from The Little Kitchen. I can't imagine organizing something of this magnitude and they did an awesome job. Thanks girls!!

For the cookie swap, I wanted to do a cookie that was simple, traditional and easily transported. A few weeks earlier, I attempted to make Recipe Girl's Reese's Stuffed Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. I had problems with the 'stuffing' part. I decided just to bake the remaining dough without the Reese's cups and the cookies were still delicious. However, for the cookie swap, I wanted to incorporate the peanut butter cups in the cookie. I added the mini Reese's cups to the cookie dough and that did the trick. Peanut butter and chocolate is one of those flavor combos that you just can't beat.

I received some wonderful cookies as well. I received delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies from Currently Coveting and wonderful Gingerbread Latte Cookies from Southern Charm.

*Update* - I also received some very tasty Cinnamon Pecan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies from The Toasted Sprinkle.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

recipe from Recipe Girl

1/2 C. butter, softened

1/2 C. chunky peanut butter (I used creamy)
1/2 C. granulated sugar
1/2 C. brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C. milk chocolate chips
1 C. mini Reese's peanut butter cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, peanut butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Add the egg and mix until combined. Mix until fluffy and light, around 3 minutes.

Then add dry mixture to wet mixture. Stir together just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 cup of the mini peanut butter cups.

Using a cookie scoop, place dough balls on lined cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are light brown.

Makes around 2 dozen.

Snickers Cake

2011-12-01T17:12:00.000-06:00

Confession: I never did have leftover Halloween candy. I went out and bought all of it when it was 75-90% off. The weekend after Halloween, my best friend and I were in Birmingham, AL doing a little shopping and fine dining. Of course we had to go into Target, which is one of our favorite places, along with Vera Bradley and Baskin-Robbins! :) This Target had a TON of leftover Halloween candy for really cheap, so I bought a TON of it. It was good stuff too, like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Butterfingers, Twix, Halloween Oreos, and Snickers.

So when I was trying to decide what to do with these Snickers, I googled recipes and then I remembered a recipe for Snickers Cupcakes I saw on Kevin & Amanda. The cupcakes look insanely good and I encourage you to try the chocolate mousse that she made to fill the cupcakes. I made the mousse and put it between my cake layers, but I think that was a mistake because my cake layers slid around while I was frosting the cake. The cake is amazing. I love the addition of the pudding mix to the boxed cake mix. It really makes the cake taste homemade. And this buttercream? It's totally going to be my go-to chocolate buttercream from now till eternity. It's wonderful. Make this now, in cupcake form, layer cake, sheet cake..doesn't matter, just make it.

*And please don't pay attention to by cake frosting skills. I tend to think this is more of a rustic look. LOL!*

Snickers Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

recipe from Kevin & Amanda's Decadent Snickers Cupcakes

Cake:

1 box Devils Food Cake Mix

1 small box Jello Chocolate Fudge instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 C. vegetable oil
1 C. milk
1 C. sour cream

Buttercream:

2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened

4 -6 C. powdered sugar

1/2 C. cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 - 3/4 of a bag of mini Snickers, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350.

Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and then cover bottom with parchment round. Into a large bowl, put the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, milk and sour cream and beat until combined. Divide batter evenly among the 2 cake pans. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester placed in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pans for around 5-10 minutes and then remove cakes from pans and cool on wire racks.

For the chocolate buttercream, in a medium bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla extract. Beat well until all combined and is a nice spreading consistency. You may have to add a few drops of milk.

Frost cake and then place chopped Snickers on the top. Store the cake, covered, for 3 days, but it probably won't last that long.

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Frosting

2011-11-19T00:26:00.000-06:00

Everytime I step into the kitchen, Lady H asks me, "Whatcha makin' Mommy?" When she hears me turn on the mixer, she clasps her hands together and her eyes get wide with excitement. She knows that she is about to try something good. When she tried these pumpkin cookies with brown butter frosting for the first time, all she could say was "yum".

These cookies are great. Soft, pumpkiny (is that a word?) pillows with an awesome buttery frosting. These would be great for the Thanksgiving dessert table. They definitely have the approval of a 2 1/2 year old.

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Frosting

from Martha Stewart's Cookies

2 3/4 C. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/4 tsp course salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/4 tsp. ground ginger

3/4 tsp. nutmeg

3/4 C. butter, room temp.

2 1/4 C. light brown sugar, packed

2 eggs, large

1 1/2 C. canned solid-pack pumpkin (14 oz.)

3/4 C. evaporated milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting:

4 C. confectioners' sugar, sifted

10 T. butter, unsalted

1/4 C + 1 T. evaporated milk, plus more if needed

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs and reduce speed to low. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, and vanilla; mix until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the flour mixture and then mix until it's all combined.

Using a medium sized cookie scoop, drop batter onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake cookies rotating sheets halfway through, until tops spring back, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets on wire racks for around 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool completely.

To make the frosting, put the confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Immediately add butter to confectioners' sugar, scraping any browned bits from sides and bottom of the pan. Add evaporated milk and vanilla. Stir until it's smooth.

Spread about 1 tsp. of frosting onto each cookie. If the frosting stiffens, stir in more of the evaporated milk, a little at a time. Store the cookies in an airtight container in a single layer at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Cinnamon Chip Scones

2011-11-09T07:37:00.001-06:00

Ever since I saw these cinnamon chip scones on How Sweet It Is, I've been dreaming about them. It did, however, take me forever to make them because I couldn't find cinnamon chips anywhere. I looked all around Nashville and even Chattanooga, and still couldn't find them. One day I was flipping through my King Arthur Flour catalog and there they were, cinnamon mini baking chips. I ordered a bag and within days I made my first batch of scones. To die for, seriously.

Scones are so easy to make and they freeze well, so you can make a batch or two ahead of time. I'm totally making a batch for breakfast for the day after Thanksgiving. These will be great while standing in line on Black Friday!

Cinnamon Chip Scones

from: How Sweet It Is

3 1/4 C. all purpose flour

1/3 C. sugar

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

3/4 C. butter, cold

1 C. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 C. cinnamon chips

Preheat oven to 425.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until it forms coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Fold in the cinnamon chips. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently.

Divide the dough in half and pat into 7 inch round circles. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with a cinnamon sugar mixture, if desired. Cut into 8 wedges.

Bake at 425 for 13-15 minutes.

This recipe makes 16 scones.

Chocolate Cookies with Pumpkin Spice Kisses

2011-10-27T16:05:00.001-05:00

My two favorite candy holidays are Halloween and Easter. There's just some awesome candy that shows up during those two times of the year. I love all the new Hershey Kiss flavors that are coming out. When I saw Pumpkin Spice Kisses I immediately grabbed two bags knowing that I would bake something with them. Then I remembered seeing this recipe for Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Kiss Cookies on Barbara Bakes last year.

I did these cookies a little different than from Barbara. I roughly chopped the kisses and then added them to the cookie dough. While I think they tasted really good and added a nice pop of orange color to the cookie, I think next time I bake them I will do it Barbara's way, by stuffing each cookie with a kiss so that you have a nice, sweet, spicy surprise.

Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Kiss Cookies

from: Barbara Bakes

2 1/2 C. flour all purpose flour flour
3/4 C. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 C. sugar
1 C. firmly packed brown sugar
1 C. butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
48 Hershey’s Pumpkin Spice Kisses, unwrapped and roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 375.

In medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa and baking soda. Set aside.

In large bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Add flour mixture; blend well. Stir in chopped kisses.

Using a medium sized cookie scoop, place dough 2 inches apart on Silpat or parchment paper lined cookie sheets.

Bake at 375° for 7 to 10 minutes or until set and slightly cracked. Cool 2-4 minutes on cookie sheets and then remove. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes or until completely cooled.

I made about 2 dozen cookies.

Halloween Oreo Pops

2011-10-19T07:30:00.000-05:00

Every year my family has a Halloween party & bonfire and I'm always looking for cute things to make for the guests. When I found a tutorial on How Does She? showing how to make these Oreo Pops, I knew that I would add them to my "To Make" list for the party. They are cute, easy, and delicious. Of course you can also customize these for any occasion. I'm thinking about making some Orange & White ones for this week's big game! GO VOLS!!

**Go on over to How Does She? to see the step by step instructions on how to make an Oreo pop.**

Things you will need:

Lollipop sticks

Candy melts (any color you choose)

Oreos - I used the Halloween ones

Any type of sprinkles/decorations you desire

Wax paper

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

When a friend bought me some delicious pumpkin spice caramels from Godiva, I immediately thought about these cupcakes. The combination of pumpkin and caramel is amazing and I wanted to do something other than cream cheese frosting. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE cream cheese frosting. I would eat a piece of cardboard if it had cream cheese frosting smeared all over it. I just thought this caramel buttercream would be a nice change..and it was.

** Head over to Fearless Homemaker to see her beautiful Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream.**

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

From Martha Stewart's Cupcakes via Brown Eyed Baker

4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
1 tsp. baking soda
1 T. + 1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 T. ground ginger
1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1 C. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2½ C. packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 C. buttermilk
1½ C. canned pumpkin (not pie filling)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Take paper liners and line muffin tins. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

On medium-high speed with an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until just combined. Add pumpkin; beat until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool. Place cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.

Caramel Buttercream

From So How's It Taste?

25 caramels

1/4 C. milk
1/2 C. butter, room temperature
2 1/2 C. powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 tsp. vanilla

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the caramels, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in milk until smooth. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla for 3 minutes on high. Add the cooled caramel and mix on high for 2 minutes. Frost cooled cupcakes.

Pumpkin Pie Fudge

2011-10-02T23:33:00.000-05:00

I'm shocked that I'm posting another fudge recipe. While the Key Lime Pie Fudge I posted a while back didn't involve a candy thermometer, this recipe does. Candy thermometers intimidate me and I know they shouldn't. I mean, mine has color coded areas for soft ball stage and hard ball stage and is pretty self explanatory. I think what gets me all nervous is the cooking of the sugar. In just a split second, the beautiful velvety mixture can turn into a crumbly, dry rock. It just scares me.

This Pumpkin Pie Fudge was inspired by the key lime pie fudge. I found a pumpkin fudge recipe and thought that it would be great to give it a crust, but not just a graham cracker crust, a gingersnap crust. I think it really complements the pumpkin.

Pumpkin Pie Fudge

Fudge recipe from Southern Living via My Recipes

For the fudge:

3 C. sugar

3/4 C. butter, melted

2/3 C. evaporated milk

1/2 C. canned pumpkin

2 T corn syrup

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 (12-ounce) package white chocolate morsels

1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow crème

1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the crust:
1 1/4 C. finely crushed gingersnap crumbs
2 T. sugar
4 T. butter, melted

Line an 8x8 pan with foil or parchment paper, extending it up and over the pan. Butter the sides and bottom of the pan, especially the corners. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium sized bowl, melt butter and then stir in sugar with a fork, breaking up any lumps. Add gingersnap crumbs and mix well. Spread evenly into the baking pan and bake for 4 to 5 minutes or until edge is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Stir together first 6 ingredients in a 3 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 234° (soft-ball stage) or for about 12 minutes.

Remove pan from heat; stir in remaining ingredients until well blended. Pour into the greased aluminum foil-lined pan. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight. Lift the fudge from pan using edges of foil or parchment. Peel off foil and cut the fudge into one-inch pieces.

Power T Sugar Cookies - GO VOLS!

2011-09-21T12:56:00.000-05:00

I have to admit, cookie decorating is not one of my favorite things to do. I get excited about the idea of doing it, but once I gather up the bags, couplers, tips, color gels, cookies, baking sheets....(I really could go on), the whole thing just loses it's coolness to me. But when I saw this Power T cookie cutter, I knew I had to have it!

I love this sugar cookie recipe. I love the hints of vanilla and almond and it's so easy to make. And I love any recipe that calls for cold butter since I'm one of those that always forgets to let my butter sit out to soften>

Even though cookie decorating may not be my thing, I will definitely continue to make these. Now I just have to get a Michigan "M" cookie cutter for my husband.


Here's the Pride of the Southland Marching Band in Power T form

Vanilla Almond Sugar Cookies

recipe from Bake@350 via So How's It Taste?

3 C. unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 C. sugar
1 C. (2 sticks) salted butter, cold
1 egg
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Royal Icing
recipe from Annie's Eats
4 C. powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp. meringue powder
5 T. water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom. The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl for rolling.

On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4" thick sheet, and cut into desired shapes. Place shapes on parchment or silpat lined baking sheets. Place entire baking sheet in the freezer for 5 minutes (this step is important in helping the cookies keep their shapes nice and clean). Remove and bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until edges are just barely starting to turn golden. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely prior to decorating.

For the royal icing:
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the sheen has disappeared and the icing has a matte appearance (about 7-10 minutes). Transfer the contents of the mixing bowl to an air-tight container. This will be the stiffest consistency of the icing, and at this point it is still too stiff to use for decorating. Add water a very small amount at a time and stir by hand until fully incorporated. Continue until the icing has reached a consistency appropriate for piping. (Remember, if you are having any difficulty piping, it is still too thick. Add a little more liquid and try again.) Using a pastry bag, pipe around the edges of each cookie. Let stand so the icing will set. Make sure to keep the leftover icing covered at all times when not in use so that it does not begin to harden.

Once all the cookies have been edged, transfer some of the remaining icing to a separate air-tight container. Thin out by incorporating a small amount of water at a time, until the icing drips off the spoon easily when lifted and then smooths in with that still in the bowl. If you go too far and the icing is too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar to thicken it again. Once the icing has reached the desired consistency, transfer it to a squeeze bottle (or a plastic bag with a hole in one corner), and flood the area surrounded by the piping on each cookie. If it does not completely spread to the edges, use a toothpick to help it along. Allow to set.

Use the remaining thicker icing for piping decoration as desired. Gel icing color is best as it does not add a significant amount of liquid. Liquid food coloring can be used as well – add powdered sugar as needed to compensate for any thinning that occurs.

Key Lime Pie Fudge

2011-09-08T16:08:00.003-05:00

Ahhh, dare I say summer is almost gone and then soon comes the most wonderful time of the year, Autumn. Cooler temperatures, football, pumpkin treats, football, Halloween, football....it's an awesome time.

Even though fall is my favorite time of the year, there are a few things I will miss about summer. One thing I will miss is the abundance of lime and other citrus flavored goodies. I love lime, so when I saw this recipe for Key Lime Pie Fudge*, I knew I just had to try it.

This recipe did not disappoint. It was easy and super delicious. I love the two different textures it yields from the crust and the fudge. The buttery goodness from the graham cracker crust and the sweet and tartness from the fudge. A pretty awesome way to say goodbye to Summer.

*Note - I realize that key lime pie is not truly "lime" color, however, I couldn't resist dropping a few tiny drops of green food coloring in the fudge mixture.

Key Lime Pie Fudge
from Sugar Cooking

1/3 C. unsalted butter
1/4 C. sugar
1-1/4 C. graham crackers crumbs
3 C. white chocolate, finely chopped
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 T. key lime zest, about 5-6 Key limes
1/4 C. key lime juice

Line an 8x8 pan with foil or parchment paper, extending it up and over the pan. Butter the sides and bottom of the pan, especially the corners. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium sized bowl, melt butter and then stir in sugar with a fork, breaking up any lumps. Add graham cracker crumbs and mix well. Spread evenly into the baking pan and bake for 4 to 5 minutes or until edge is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Pour sweetened condensed milk in a large heavy saucepan and stir in the white chocolate and heat on low, just until chocolate is melted and all the lumps are gone. Remove from heat and stir in lime zest and lime juice. Spread mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

Cover and chill for several hours or overnight. Lift the fudge from pan using edges of foil or parchment. Peel off foil and cut the fudge into one-inch pieces. Fudge can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for one week.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Peanut Butter Filling

2011-08-31T09:57:00.000-05:00

My Mom's birthday was this last week and instead of making a birthday cake or cupcakes, I wanted to do something different. Since her favorite two flavors are chocolate and peanut butter, I had no doubt that these chocolate whoopie pies with peanut butter filling would be a perfectly acceptable birthday treat. I decided to kick it up a notch by rolling the whoopies in Mom's favorite candy, roughly chopped Reese's cups.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Peanut Butter Filling

Whoopie Pies from pieceofcakeblog.blogspot.com

Peanut Butter Filling from bakedbree.com

For the whoopie pies:

2 C. all-purpose flour

1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 C. light brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. instant espresso powder

1 egg, large

1 C. buttermilk, well-shaken

Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl or a bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar, vanilla and espresso powder until well blended and fluffy, around 2 minutes. Add egg and continue beating. Decrease the speed of the mixer to low and add buttermilk. (At this time, the mixture will look curdled and a bit gross, but it will look fine once the dry ingredients are incorporated.)

While the mixer is still on low, add the dry ingredients and then increase the speed and beat until the batter is combined and smooth.

Drop the batter onto the prepared baking sheets by an ice cream scoop or medium sized spoon, leaving 1 inch or so in between each drop. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let them cool on the pan for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.

For the filling:

2 sticks butter, softened

1 C. creamy peanut butter

1 C. marshmallow cream

2 C. powdered sugar

2 T. milk

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and peanut butter, until light and fluffy. Add the marshmallow creme and then the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add the milk one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency.

Mint Oreo Cupcakes

2011-08-18T16:46:00.000-05:00

Mint Oreos pretty much rock. First of all, they are double stuffed, which is pretty awesome. Second, the minty cream filling is a really cool green color. After my first bite, I was pretty much addicted, so thank goodness I already had a plan for these delicious minty treats.

I made these for my friend who's crazy about all things mint & chocolate. Check out these cupcakes that I made for his birthday this past year. These Mint Oreo Cupcakes went over very well.

Just a few notes. First, I roughly chopped up some cookies and added them to the batter so there were nice chucks of Oreos inside the cupcakes. You can't see them because I got trigger happy with my camera and forgot to take pictures of the inside of a cupcake. But believe me, they are there, and they are wonderful. Also, I went with 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract in my buttercream, which I think was perfect, but you can always add more. However, start out with 1/4 teaspoon first. Remember, you can always add more, but you can't take it away.

Mint Oreo Cupcakes

1 Box Devil's Food Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines)
1 Box Mint Oreos

Line muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside. Mix cake mix according to directions on the back of the box. Roughly chop about 18-20 of the mint Oreos and set aside. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full and then place 3-4 of the Oreo chunks into each cupcake. Bake according to directions on the back of the box.

For the buttercream:
2 sticks butter, unsalted & softened
5 C. powdered sugar
2-3 T. milk
1/2 tsp. mint extract
2-4 drops of green food coloring
3-4 T. finely crushed mint Oreos

Beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar and milk. Beat until combined. Add extract and combine. Add desired about of food coloring and then mix until well incorporated. Stir in the finely crushed Oreos. Frost cooled cupcakes. Garnish with mini Oreos if desired.

Mojito Watermelon

2011-08-04T21:50:00.012-05:00

Here's something a little bit different than your average watermelon.

At the beginning of every summer I go crazy with watermelon. I buy several and eat and eat and eat. I love it. So when I had an overload of watermelon in my fridge, I thought I should find some different ways to serve it.

While this mojito version is good with its sticky sweetness and abundance of lime flavor, I personally, will stick to the simple version of just an ice cold wedge from the fridge.

Mojito Watermelon

from Heat Oven to 350

1/4 C sugar

1/4 C warm water
A pinch of salt
1/4 C lime juice
2 tsp. freshly grated lime zest
1 medium large watermelon (8-10 lbs), cut into bite-sized chunks
2 T finely chopped, fresh mint

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the sugar and water and stir until sugar is dissolved. (Make sure your water is warm so the sugar can dissolve quicker). Stir in the lime juice and the lime zest. You will want the mixture cool before you pour it over the watermelon, so just place it in the fridge for about an hour or so. Once cooled, stir in the chopped mint.

Take cold watermelon chunks and place in large bowl. Pour sugar mixture over watermelon and stir gently. Serve chilled.

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd & Lemon Buttercream

2011-08-02T16:45:00.002-05:00

If you love lemon, you will love these cupcakes. Lemon cake filled with lemon curd and then topped with lemon buttercream. Wow.

My good friend Leah and I got together and decided to collaborate on this wonderful lemon treat for our friend/co-worker's birthday. We immediately decided on cupcakes, of course. Leah made the lemon curd and I made the cupcakes and the buttercream. The lemon curd was made the day before and when Leah handed me the jar of curd, I immediately sampled it. It was tart and very delicious. It complemented the sweetness of the buttercream so well. It all went together so beautifully that this may be the best collaboration we've done so far. And the lemon buttercream is definitely going to be my go-to lemon buttercream for now on.

** Thanks to Leah for letting me use the photos from her phone**

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream
from Cooking with Paula Deen
July/August 2001 issue

1 C. butter, softened
2 C. sugar
4 eggs, large at room temperature
1 T. lemon zest
1/4 C. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 C. cake flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C. buttermilk at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together cake flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine and then set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter at medium-high speed until creamy. Add the sugar gradually and beat for around 5 minutes until it's all incorporated and nice and fluffy. One at a time, add the eggs and beat until the yellow disappears after each addition. Then, add the zest, juice and vanilla and beat until blended.

Take the dry ingredients and gradually add to the butter mixture alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat on low speed until blended after each addition.

Line muffin pan with cupcake liners and then scoop mixture into liners using large spoon or ice cream scoop. Fill liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 17-20 minutes. Once removed from oven, let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then take cupcakes out of pan and let them cool on wire rack. Make sure cupcakes are cooled completely before frosting with lemon buttercream. Of course, cupcakes are best the day they are made, but you can store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.

For the Lemon Curd recipe, visit Leah at So How's It Taste?

Lemon Buttercream
1 C. butter, softened
2 T. lemon zest
1/4 C. fresh lemon juice
2 T. milk
5 C. powdered sugar
Yellow food coloring (optional)

In a medium sized bowl, beat the butter at medium-high speed until creamy. Add zest, juice and milk and continue beating until it's well blended. Add the powdered sugar slowly and beat until it's light and fluffy. Beat in the desired amount yellow food coloring if using.

Fudgy Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

2011-07-14T21:53:00.000-05:00

My Mom loves that I have a food blog. I think she sits up at night on her computer and finds things for me to make. She found this recipe for Fudgy Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars on Pillsbury's website and immediately handed it to me when I walked through her front door. I made it for a family function and it was gone within minutes.

Fudgy Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

from Pillsbury

1/2 C butter, melted
2 C graham cracker crumbs (32 squares)
1 8 oz. bag toffee bits
1 roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
1 12oz. bag chocolate chips
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 T butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Grease 13x9 baking dish and heat oven to 350.

Have the roll of cookie dough sitting out for around 10 minutes to soften up.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the 1/2 cup of melted butter, 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs and 3/4 cup of toffee bits. Pour mixture into the greased pan and press evenly until mixture covers bottom of pan. Refrigerate for around 15 minutes.

In a 2 qt saucepan, heat the milk, chocolate chips and the tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Stir frequently until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Spread the mixture over the graham cracker crumb mixture.

In another medium mixing bowl, break up the cookie dough and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs until blended. Crumble the mixture evenly over the chocolate layer and the sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup toffee bits on top.

Bake for about 25-35 minutes or until it's golden brown. Cool completely before cutting, probably around 2 or more hours.

Orzo Salad

2011-06-23T13:20:00.000-05:00

While this is not the most flattering photo, I have to share this recipe.

I made this orzo salad for the birthday party last week and people couldn't stop talking about it. While it's a copycat recipe based on J. Alexander's Orzo and Wild Rice Salad, I had to make a few adjustments. See, I love to plan parties and stuff, but I do tend to get stressed out..ok, a bit over stressed. Even though I make list after list of things I need, I inevitably leave something off. This time it was the wild rice. I might have stressed out a bit over it, but then I figured I could do without it, since eating wild rice is like chewing on tiny brown expensive twigs. I think it turned out just fine.

*Note: The below measurements are what I used for the party to feed 25 people.

Orzo Salad

adapted from J. Alexander's Orzo & Wild Rice Salad Recipe found on www.cdkitchen.com

10 C. orzo rice, cooked and cooled

1 C. red onion, diced

1 can corn niblets

1 C. yellow pepper, diced

1 C. red pepper, diced

1/2 C. fresh basil, chopped

2 1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 1/4 C. parsley, chopped --(oh, I forgot that too, so I left that out as well..oops)

Cook orzo according to directions on package. Drain and then let cool for about 30 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss. Make dressing.

For the dressing:

1 1/4 C. canola oil

1 1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil

5/8 C. sweet white balsamic vinegar

7 1/2 T. honey

1 1/4 T. Dijon mustard

1 1/4 tsp. garlic, minced

5/8 tsp. black pepper

Put all the ingredients, except both oils, in a medium mixing bowl. Stir until combined. Vigorously stir the mixture while slowly adding the oils. Once combined, pour over cold orzo/vegetable mixture and stir to coat. Refrigerate. Best served cold.

*I made the salad the day before the party and refrigerated so the flavors could intensify*

A Cupcake Themed Birthday Party

2011-06-21T22:01:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, we celebrated Lady H's 2nd birthday with a cupcake themed party. To be honest, I planned this party the day she was born. While I was laying in bed, half doped up out of my mind, I can remember holding Baby H and telling my Mother that her first birthday party will be ladybugs and her 2nd birthday will be all cupcakes. So, yeah, I guess I'm kind of a planner.

I made two different kinds of cupcakes, chocolate with chocolate fudge frosting and vanilla buttermilk cake with raspberry filling and raspberry buttercream frosting. I also made Oreo truffle cupcake pops. It was my first attempt at cupcake pops, so I think I need to practice those a bit more.

For party favors, I made cupcake shaped sugar cookies, bagged them up and handed them to people on their way out. My good friend, Leah, helped me decorate them to the ultimate cuteness. I forgot to get a picture of them before we bagged them. By this time, being caterer, baker, Mom, party planner, photographer, and hostess became a tad bit overwhelming.

Our complete menu included:

Ham & Cheese Sliders

Mini Caprese Salad Skewers

Orzo Salad

Corn Dip

Fruit Platter w/Fruit Dip

Oreo Truffle Cupcake Pops

Candy Coated Pretzel Rods

Cupcakes

We had a wonderful time and even 4 days after, I'm still tired. But it was completely worth it and we can't wait to see what theme we will have next year.

Happy 2nd Birthday Lady H!!!!!!!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-06-11T15:48:00.000-05:00

I'm not that person that wakes up hours before I have to be at work. I get up in just enough time to get ready and to be at work on time (give or take a minute or two). I like to have fast and easy breakfast foods on hand during the week and muffins are perfect. I can make them the night before, or I usually just make a big batch and freeze them in individual portions. It's perfect for Mr. Bites and Lady H as well. All he has to do is hand her the muffin and she thinks she is eating cake for breakfast.

These muffins are a bit lighter than your regular muffin. I'm not going to tell you that you won't tell a difference. I could tell, but they were still very good. They are not too sweet or heavy, but perfectly chocolate and great for breakfast or a snack.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

from myrecipes.com via Cooking Light

1 3/4 C. all-purpose flour

1/2 C. packed brown sugar

1/4 C. unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 C. warm water

1/4 C. canola oil

1 T. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 C. semisweet chocolate mini-chips, divided

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine 1 cup water and next 4 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in 1/4 cup mini-chips. Add oil mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Place 12 muffin-cup liners in muffin cups. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup mini-chips evenly over batter. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

Grilled Asparagus

2011-06-03T10:20:00.000-05:00

When we first moved to the Nashville area it was such a fast move that we ended up renting out our house in Georgia and getting an apartment. Three years later, we are still in said apartment. I'm ~~sure~~ know, that Mr. Bites is getting very tired of my constant whining, crying, and flat out bitching about not having enough space and serious lack of kitchen. I'm serious, the kitchen in this place is about the size of our so called walk-in closet, and to an avid baker and food blogger, it's my own personal hell. I won't go into detail about how I only have 3 drawers and 4 full size cabinets and 4 half sized and how I have a majority of my favorite kitchen stuff in storage because I simply have no room. I'll stop right there, like I said, I won't go into detail.

But one of the really crappy things about living in an apartment is that we don't get to grill. We miss grilling like crazy, so every time we go to my Mom's or to the in-laws', we always try to grill out. A couple of weeks ago we grilled some asparagus and it was great. It's so simple, just marinate the asparagus in Greek dressing and then grill. We like to use Ken's Steakhouse Greek Dressing, but I'm sure you can use any Greek or Italian dressing that you like.

Here is what we do for...

Grilled Asparagus

1lb asparagus
1 bottle of Greek dressing
Ground black pepper

Wash and trim asparagus. Put in Ziploc bag and sprinkle with ground black pepper. Then pour in enough dressing to cover the asparagus completely (that usually ends up being about 1/2 a bottle for us). Seal the Ziploc bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Once asparagus is marinated, place them on a hot grill so that they will not fall between the grates. Grill on high for about 5 minutes, turning them every now and then so they cook evenly. We like them al dente, so we don't go over 5 minutes.

Peach Crumb Bars

2011-06-01T09:59:00.000-05:00

I hate summer! Yeah, I said it. Summer in the south is insanely miserable. The record breaking heat, the stupid humidity, the nasty bugs (don't get me started on the cicadas this year), the blood-sucking mosquitoes, crappy TV shows, bathing suit season....I could go on. The only thing I like about summer? The season's bounty. Yep, that's right, the food. Fresh zucchini from the garden, corn on the cob, strawberries, watermelon and definitely peaches. I love peaches so when I saw this recipe on Brown Eyed Baker's website, I immediately had to make it.

These peach bars tasted great, however the dough was really soft so it was kind of hard to eat with one hand. They reminded me of little squares of peach cobbler. Well, however you decide to gobble these up, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Peach Crumb Bars

from Brown Eyed Baker

Makes between 20-24 bars (depends on how you cut them)

The dough consists of:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
1 egg, lightly beaten

The filling consists of:
5 cups diced or sliced peaches (about 7 peaches, peeled)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter, and then the egg. The dough will be crumbly. Pat half of the dough into the prepared pan. Place the pan and the remainder of the dough in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Place the diced (or sliced) peaches in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour over the peaches and mix gently.

Spread the peach mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble the remaining dough over the peach layer.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Funfetti Whoopie Pies

2011-05-23T19:07:00.000-05:00

Lady H's last day of preschool was this past week and I wanted to do something for her teachers and friends. She has had so much fun going and it sure has helped Mr. Bites get some work done since he works from home AND takes care of her during the day. Yeah, he's pretty amazing.

I was going to make little cupcakes, but decided that little whoopie pies would be easier for tiny toddler hands to hold. When I saw this vanilla whoopie pie recipe in my newly purchased Whoopie Pies book, I instantly thought of adding sprinkles in the batter for a fun and festive treat that is perfect for kids of all ages.

Funfetti Whoopie Pies

very slightly adapted from Whoopie Pies by Sarah Billingsley & Amy Treadwell

Makes about 48 2-inch cakes

2 1/4 C. all -purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

4 T. unsalted butter, at room temp.

4 T. vegetable shortening

1/2 C. granulated sugar

1/2 C. brown sugar, packed

2 lg. eggs

1/2 C. buttermilk

2 T. milk

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 T. colorful sprinkles or jimmies (I used these)

Preheat oven to 375. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheet.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper.

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening, and both sugars until light and creamy, about 3 min. Add the eggs and the buttermilk and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup, combine the milk, baking soda, and vinegar. Add the milk mixture to the batter along with the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Add the vanilla and beat for about 2 min. until completely combined. Stir in sprinkles.

Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, drop about 1 T. of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes each, or until the cakes begin to brown. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for at least 5 min. before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Classic Buttercream Filling

3 C. powdered sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3-4 T. of heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

In a large bowl, beat together the powdered sugar and butter, starting on low and increasing to medium speed, until the mixture is crumbly, about 1 minute. Add the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt and beat on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles (on a stick)

2011-05-08T23:02:00.004-05:00

I love chocolate chip cookie dough. I've been known to make cookie dough and have no intentions at all to bake a single cookie. I'm not the only one in the household that sneaks spoonfuls of cookie dough either. I've walked in on Mr. Bites eating spoonfuls of cookie dough from a bowl while watching "The Notebook", uh, I mean, ESPN.

I made these truffles for my mother-in-law for Mother's Day. She loves chocolate chip cookie dough more than anything and I knew she would love these. These truffles are egg-less, which makes it safe to eat raw cookie dough, however, I'm not really bothered by the egg. I'll still eat the dough. I'm a rebel like that.

I'm not sure how many this recipe makes because, let's be honest, I sneak spoonfuls (surprise!). According to Lindsey, the original truffle recipe makes about 3-4 dozen 1-inch balls. Also, hop over to her blog and take a look at what she did with cookie dough and pie!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

adapted from Love and Olive Oil

2 1/4 C. all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 C. butter, softened
3/4 C. granulated sugar
1 C. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 C. milk
1 C. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
14 oz dark or milk chocolate candy coating

Beat butter and sugars and in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.

Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.

When dough is firm enough to handle (it may help to lightly flour your hands), form dough into 1" balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Place sheets in freezer and let chill for 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate candy coating in a double boiler or in microwave according to package directions. Insert sticks into cookie dough balls and then dip balls into melted chocolate, letting any excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Return balls to wax paper to set up, or you can insert the stick into a Styrofoam base. Chill balls until set.

You can store the truffles in an air tight container for up to one week.

Mini Egg Brownies

2011-04-21T07:33:00.000-05:00

I LOVE Cadbury Mini Eggs. I always get excited when I walk into Target and see that beautiful purple bag full of sweet chocolaty goodness. Problem is, I love them too much. In the past, it was such a problem that I've had to have the bag hidden from me. My mother, my college roommate and my husband have had to take responsibility into their own hands and hide them. It's sad, but true. I knew my addiction was getting better when one year my husband hid them from me and I did not find them until Christmas. Don't worry, I didn't eat them, I'm not that hard core of a mini egg junkie.

Actually, it's been a year or more since I've had some mini eggs. I did, however, buy a bag this year and I'm glad I did. After a stressful couple of days due to car trouble, I needed something chocolaty. I had a box of brownie mix and a bag of mini eggs and I thought why not put the two together. Plus, I got some good stress relief by crushing up the mini eggs.

Here's what I did:

I mixed the brownies according to the directions on the box. I crushed enough mini eggs to make around 1 cup and then I sprinkled the mini eggs onto the brownie batter. I then baked them according to the directions on the box. (Rocket science, I know).

Banana Whoopie Pies

2011-04-15T21:39:00.000-05:00

So I might have a slight whoopie pie obsession. I may or may not sit at work and write down possible variations that I want to bake. Lemon, chocolate chip, orange creamsicle, salted caramel, strawberry, key lime, mocha...I could go on. When I saw these in Martha Stewart's annual holiday cookie magazine, my first thought was that banana whoopie pies didn't seem very Christmas-y to me. After making them, I realized it didn't matter what the occasion, these babies are perfect for any time of the year.

Banana Whoopie Pies

Source: Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies 2010

2 C. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 C. mashed banana (about 1 large ripe banana)

1/2 C. sour cream

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/2 C. granulated sugar

1/2 C. packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

16 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 C. confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Whisk to combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together banana and sour cream.

Beat butter and both sugars with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add egg and 1/4 tsp. vanilla, beating until incorporated. Add banana mixture in 2 additions, alternating with flour mixture.

Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe batter into 1 1/4 inch rounds on parchment lined baking sheets, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart. OR, you can do what I did and use a medium sized ice cream scoop!

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer cookies, still on parchment, to wire racks. Let cool completely. (Unfilled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 day.)

To make filling, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and remaining 1/2 tsp. vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Pipe or spoon about 1 T. cream cheese mixture onto flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies.

By using my medium sized ice cream scoop, I got about 15 or so whoopie pies.

Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies

2011-04-11T21:34:00.001-05:00

Mr. Bites loves oatmeal cookies. He's always requesting them and begging for the addition of chocolate chips. He demands no raisins. I, however, like raisins in my oatmeal cookies. The raisins seem to make the cookie a tad more healthy, in my opinion (wink wink). When I saw this recipe for thin and crispy oatmeal cookies, I had to try them. They aren't the usual soft and chewy oatmeal cookie that I normally bake, but they were definitely well received by all due to their crunchy texture and buttery taste.

Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies

from The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2009

1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

14 T. (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 c. granulate sugar

1/4 c. packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone sheet. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a med. bowl.

In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars at medium-low speed until just combined, about 20 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl again. With the mixer running at low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated, 20 seconds. Give the dough a final stir with the rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Divide the dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoons, then roll between the palms of your hands into balls. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using your fingertips, gently press each dough ball to 3/4-inch thickness.

Bake until cookies are a deep golden brown, the edges are crisp, and the centers yield to a slight pressure when pressed, 13-16 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack; let the cookie cool completely on the baking sheet before serving.

The cookie will keep in an airtight container for 3 days.

Blue Velvet Cupcakes

2011-03-29T22:30:00.000-05:00

I made these cupcakes for a friend's birthday. She is a huge University of Kentucky fan and I thought these would be perfect for her. Same as a red velvet cake, these cupcakes have a fine, delicate crumb and a nice tang from the buttermilk. I'll definitely make these again, but maybe in a different color, as in, orange! :)

Blue Velvet Cupcakes
recipe from Sprinkle Bakes and One Particular Kitchen

2 C sugar
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 T cocoa powder
1 T Wilton royal blue gel food coloring
1 small dab of Wilton violet gel food coloring
2½ C cake flour
1 tsp salt
1 C buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking soda
1 T vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcake pan(s) with paper liners.

In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix cocoa and food colorings together to form a paste, and then add to sugar mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture.

Pour batter into cupcake papers. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the cream cheese frosting, I used my old standby recipe.

Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick of butter, softened
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 box powdered sugar

Blend cream cheese, butter, and almond extract. Mix in powdered sugar. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T09:45:00.000-05:00

What do you do with leftover Bailey's Irish Buttercream? You put it on brownie bites, of course.

I had some left over Bailey's Buttercream from my Guinness and Bailey's Whoopie Pies, so I thought instead of just eating it by the spoonfuls, I should bake something and use it. Brownies instantly came to mind. I just took a boxed brownie mix and used my mini muffin pan to turn them into "bites". Perfect for my co-workers!

*For the brownie bites, I followed the directions on the brownie mix box and used a lightly greased mini muffin pan. I baked the brownie bites at 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Guinness and Bailey's Irish Cream Whoopie Pies

2011-03-14T09:36:00.000-05:00

It's a busy week this week, so I thought I would kill two birds with one stone with this post. Today is Pi Day (3.14) (get it? Pie? HA!) and Thursday is St. Patrick's Day, so what better way to celebrate both than with Guinness and Bailey's Irish Cream Whoopie Pies!

I've made this recipe before but in cupcake form. It totally rocked my world and these whoopie pies do not disappoint. I basically took the cupcake recipe and added some flour and baking powder. I think they turned out pretty well.

Guinness and Bailey's Irish Cream Whoopie Pies
recipe originally for cupcakes adapted from Annie's Eats, as seen on Smitten Kitchen

For the Guinness whoopie pies:
1 cup Guinness stout
16 tbsp. unsalted butter
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
2 1/4 C. sugar
1½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 C. sour cream

For the filling:
16 T. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
6-8 T. Bailey’s Irish cream

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet or if you have a whoopie pie pan, like I do, spray each well with pan release such as Pam.

Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend. Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated.

Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets and bake for 7-9 minutes. Let cookies sit for 3-5 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to wire rack for cooling. Once cooled, take the Irish buttercream filling and make sandwiches with the cookies.

To make the filling, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated. Mix in the Bailey’s until smooth. Add more if necessary until the buttercream has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading. If the consistency of the buttercream is still not spreadable and you are worried about adding too much Bailey's, you can add a teaspoon or so of milk (not too much) to get it to spreadable consistency.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

2011-03-09T07:48:00.000-06:00

When I ran across this cupcake recipe during my daily blog reading, I knew immediately that I had to make them for our friend's birthday. He loves the mint/chocolate combination and I knew these would hit the spot. Besides, I already had devil's food cupcakes in the freezer left over from these cupcakes.

The crushed Andes mints add plenty of mint flavor to the buttercream, so I didn't feel the need to add mint extract. I added a couple of drops of green food dye to make the mint color that is reminiscent of mint chocolate chip ice cream, but for some reason, it doesn't really show up in my photo. My food photography skills are definitely not up to par with my kitchen skills, but I'm slowly learning.

For the chocolate cupcakes, I used this recipe.

Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream
from Bakers Royale

1 C. butter, softened
4 C. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 T. whipping cream
1/3 C. crushed Andes mints

Makes 3 cups.

Buttermilk Pound Cake

2011-03-04T08:03:00.000-06:00

Every time I visit my Mom or the in-law's, I always look to see if they have the latest issue of Southern Living. I was in luck over the weekend when we went to Sunday dinner at my in-law's and saw the magazine on their ottoman. I was really excited to see this recipe for buttermilk pound cake, since I had some buttermilk in my fridge that I needed to use. I don't drink buttermilk (uh, gross), but I love it in baked goods.

And guess what? It also happens to be National Pound Cake Day. So have fun and enjoy some pound cake!

Also, here's another pound cake recipe that's pretty awesome.

Buttermilk Pound Cake
from Southern Living, March 2011
1 1/3 C. butter, softened
2 1/2 C. sugar
6 large eggs
3 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 C. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325. Beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Add flour to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12 cup) tube pan.

Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10-15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

Serves 12.

Baked Cheese Sticks

2011-02-23T07:42:00.000-06:00

Mozzarella cheese sticks are pretty high on my favorite appetizers list, however I rarely get them when we go out. The hubby isn't really in love with them and then that would leave all of them for me to eat, which would end in both of us looking at each other in disgust. When I had a craving for cheese sticks one day, I decided that I could make them at home and even better, bake them.

Now, I'm not going to say that these are exactly like the cheese sticks that are deep fried to a golden, crispy, ooey, gooey delicious-ness that you find at the usual restaurant. However, they do hit the spot when you have a craving and they don't leave you feeling disgusted that you ate 2 (or more).

Baked Cheese Sticks

adapted from allrecipes.com

3 cups panko breadcrumbs

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs

2 tablespoons water

1 (8 oz.) package mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a medium sized baking pan with foil. In a large shallow bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, oregano and garlic salt. Place the flour into another small bowl. In another small bowl, beat the eggs and water together.

Cut the mozzarella cheese into 12 sticks approximately 2 3/4 inches in length. Dip the cheese sticks in the flour, then the egg mixture, then the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat dipping in the egg and breadcrumb mixture to ensure a complete coating. Arrange cheese sticks on the baking pan. Allow the sticks to set for 30 minutes. Bake in the preheated oven about 8 minutes until cheese is soft and sticks are lightly browned.

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

2011-02-04T07:07:00.000-06:00

I'm glad it's February. My January didn't go as smoothly as I thought it would. My mother had double knee replacement, something she has been needing for a while, and I've been going down to her house (two hours away) every weekend since her surgery to assist in laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. On my second weekend visit, hubby and I went out for lunch, something we RARELY ever do. We shared a BBQ Chicken Pizza and we each had one beer. It was a nice day and it was great to get out with hubby. Little did we know that later that evening, 8 hours later to be exact, we both would feel the wrath of that BBQ Chicken Pizza. Food Poisoning!!!! BOTH OF US! My worst nightmare had come true. Both of us totally unable to care for Lady H. and my mother. Oh the horror!!

The hubby still calls his mother when he is sick. I'm not making fun, I totally do it too. As we lay in bed, I can hear her ask hubby if she needs to come and get Lady H. I immediately say, "Yes, please Lord yes". So, my wonderful mother-in-law, father-in-law, and brother-in-law jump in the car and drive 2 1/2 hours in the middle of the night to my mom's house to come and pick up my 19 month old daughter. WOW! Words cannot express how thankful we both were when they arrived. Of course, I was totally out of it, so I had no idea when they got there.

So, since words can't express my gratitude, I made these for them to show my appreciation and love. I have a stellar family-in-law! Of course, I owe them like a thousand more treats, but I think they enjoyed these as I came back from their house with an empty container.

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

from Bakerella

1 box Red Velvet Cake Mix

1/2 C. butter, softened

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Mix ingredients until combined. Drop spoonfuls of cookie batter onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about two inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool.

For the cream cheese filling:

1/2 C. butter, softened

1 8oz. cream cheese, softened

1 1lb box of confectioner's sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream together butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add sugar and mix until combined and smooth.

To assemble cookies, spoon a small amount of frosting on the flat side of one cookie. Take another cookie and press together until frosting is flush with the edge.

*I used a small ice cream scoop and I got 24 cookies/12 sandwiches.*

Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling & Raspberry Buttercream

2011-02-01T22:26:00.000-06:00

Photo Courtesy of Leah

I was very excited to make these cupcakes. Yeah, they were a process but definitely worth it for two reasons. One, because they are totally delicious and two, they were to celebrate a birthday.

I've known for months now that I was going to bake my friend, co-worker, and fellow foodie Leah cupcakes for her birthday. I mean, she made some killer cupcakes for my birthday so of course I had to come up with something that measured up. Luckily, a couple of weeks before her birthday, Leah sent me a list of possible cupcakes that she would like to have me make. I am so glad these were on her list. Something about the combination of chocolate and raspberry is pure magic. The frosting is equally amazing. The seedless raspberry jam really shines through and takes regular buttercream to the next level.

Photo Courtesy of Leah

Devil's Food Cupcakes

from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

3/4 C. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

3/4 C. hot water

3 C. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 1/4 tsp. coarse salt

1 1/2 C. unsalted butter

2 1/4 C. sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 Tbl. plus 1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 C. sour cream, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over med-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on med-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 min. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filing each 3/4 full. Bake until cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 min. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.

Once cooled, then core the cupcake and fill with raspberry filling. I have a cupcake corer that I used to make a hole for the raspberry filling. If you don't have one, you can gently cut out a circle in the middle of the cupcake and then use a piping bag or small spoon to fill the cupcakes with the filling. Then frost with raspberry buttercream.

Raspberry Filling

from Smitten Kitchen

(I cut the original recipe in half since I was only making 2 dozen cupcakes)

1 10oz bag of frozen raspberries, thawed

1/4 C. sugar

1 T. cornstarch

Puree the raspberries in a food processor, blender or immersion blender. Press the puree through a fine-mesh strainer with the back of a spoon, removing the seeds. Heat the puree in a small pot with the sugar and cornstarch until mixture boils, stirring constantly. As it boils, it should quickly thicken.

Raspberry Buttercream

from Annie's Eats

16 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 C. powdered sugar

1/2 C. seedless raspberry jam

To make the frosting, place the butter and jam in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium-high speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Sift in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

Banana Muffins

2011-01-06T09:17:00.000-06:00

I've been making these banana muffins for several years now. I love them, and so does the rest of the family. They are sweet, dense and full of banana flavor. These are by no means "light" muffins. Actually, the original recipe has a mascarpone cream frosting to go along with them, but I leave that off. Frosting would make it a cupcake and to some crazy people, i.e. the husband, it's unacceptable to have cupcakes for breakfast. I know, he's not in his right mind!

Banana Muffins

from Giada De Laurentiis via Food Network

3 C all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 C. sugar
1 C. vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 T. vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed

Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl to blend. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the banana. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake the muffins on the middle rack until the tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out with no crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a rack and cool slightly. The muffins may be eaten warm or cooled completely and frosted.

Makes 18 muffins

Chocolate Crinkles

2010-12-21T10:17:00.000-06:00

Another cookie from my husband's family recipe vault. These chocolate crinkles are my favorite. They are sweet and chocolaty, with a slight crisp on the outside and a nice softness on the inside. It's like having your own little chocolate cake sprinkled with powdered sugar. Divine, I tell you.

Chocolate Crinkles

3/4 C. vegetable oil

3/4 C. cocoa powder

2 C. sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 C. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp.salt
Powdered sugar, for rolling

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix oil, cocoa and sugar until incorporated and then blend eggs in one at a time. Add vanilla, baking powder, flour and salt. Mix well. Chill dough for about 2 hours and then shape dough into small balls and then roll in powdered sugar. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes.

Molasses Cookies

2010-12-17T10:00:00.000-06:00

I love to bake cookies for Christmas. We always have a huge plate of a variety of cookies at our Christmas Eve party. This year, I decided that it would be fun to get with my Mother-in-Law and Brother-in-Law and spend a day in the kitchen baking cookies. We had lots of fun and I really enjoyed going through old recipes that have been in my husband's family for several generations.

This recipe for Molasses Cookies comes from my husband's Great-Grandmother, and while I am not a huge fan of molasses, this is one of my favorite cookies. It's sweet, chewy and because of the spices, reminds me of Christmas.

Molasses Cookies

1 1/2 C. shortening, melted

2 C. sugar

1/2 C. molasses, unsulphured

2 eggs

4 tsp. baking soda

4 C. flour

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. ginger

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

Sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix the above ingredients in order in large bowl until well blended.

Chill dough for about a hour.

Roll dough into balls then roll in sugar. Place on baking sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes.

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-12-01T12:03:00.000-06:00

Yes, more pumpkin. Not only more pumpkin, but more pumpkin with cream cheese. What can I say, the two are a match made in heaven. This pumpkin spice cake is up there with one of the best cakes I've ever had. It's moist, tender and has great flavor. And not only is it really delicious, it's easy to make.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

from The Cake Mix Doctor

1 pkg. plain spice cake mix

1 pkg. (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding mix

1 C. pumpkin, canned or mashed fresh

1/2 C. vegetable oil

1/2 C. water

3 large eggs

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly mist baking pans with spray and set aside.

Place the cake mix, pudding mix, pumpkin, oil, water, eggs, cinnamon, and ginger in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look thick and well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 32-35 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Frost with cream cheese frosting, or frosting of choice.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 C (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 box powdered sugar.

Beat cream cheese and butter until blended. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and blend until all incorporated. Frost cake.

Pumpkin Scones with a Cinnamon Glaze

2010-11-24T09:13:00.000-06:00

I've discovered that I really like scones. To be honest, I've never really had one until a couple of months ago because I always thought they would be really dry and stale, or at least they looked to be that way. My first scone was from my fellow foodie friend of So, How's It Taste?. It was a blueberry scone with a lemony glaze and it was really, really good. It wasn't dry or bland like I thought it would be. After that first bite, I immediately jumped on the scone bandwagon.

These pumpkin scones are the second batch of scones I've ever made. My first batch was with dried cranberries and while I think they would have been better with fresh ones, they would make a great Thanksgiving breakfast treat, just like these pumpkin scones. These scones would also be perfect to take with you to snack on while you stand in line at 3AM during Black Friday sales!

Pumpkin Scones with a Cinnamon Glaze

from: brown eyed baker

For the Scones:

2 cups all-purpose flour
7 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
6 Tablespoons cold butter
½ cup canned pumpkin
3 Tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger in a large bowl. Use a fork to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter are obvious; set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, half-and-half and egg. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, and form the dough into a ball. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle about 3 times as long as wide. Use a large knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. Cut each of the portions in an X pattern (four pieces) so you end up with 12 triangular slices of dough.*

Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until light brown. Place on wire rack to cool.

*I only got 8 pieces out of my ball of scone dough. I didn't want to pat out the dough too thin because I wanted my scones to be nice and thick.

For the Cinnamon Glaze:

1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
2 Tablespoon milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon

To make the powdered sugar glaze, mix the powdered sugar, milk, and cinnamon together until smooth. When scones are cool, drizzle glaze over the top of each scone.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling

2010-11-18T12:02:00.000-06:00

Another item in my series of pumpkin yummies, these whoopie pies are AH-MAY-ZING!!! I've made these for two different bake sales and they were a hit at both. If you've never had a whoopie pie, you need to get one (or two) immediately. They are fairly easy to make and you can customize them easily too! Glorious sweet, creamy filling sandwiched between two soft, cake-like cookies....it's a beautiful thing.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

from allrecipes

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups solid pack pumpkin puree

2 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/2 tablespoon ground ginger

1/2 tablespoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet.

Combine the oil and brown sugar. Mix in the pumpkin and eggs, beating well. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Mix well.

Drop dough by heaping teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cookies cool then make sandwiches from two cookies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling.

Maple Cream Cheese Filling

from brown eyed baker

3 cups powdered sugar

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat the butter on medium speed until smooth with no visible lumps, about 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, then add the maple syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

2010-11-16T10:24:00.000-06:00

I've been making pumpkin baked goods in my house for weeks now. I'm not hearing any complaints about it. Even if we, by some crazy chance, get sick of pumpkin goodies in the house, I can always find a taker. We definitely didn't have a problem with finding takers for this wonderful pumpkin cheesecake. I took a majority of it to work and left a sizable slice at home. It went pretty fast at work, as there are several pumpkin obsessed people in my office. Our huge slice at home went pretty fast too. Between Lady H, the in-laws, and the husband, I think I had just a couple of bites.

This is a perfect Thanksgiving dessert in my opinion. I like pumpkin goods, but I'm not crazy about plain ole' pumpkin pie. Combining pumpkin with the glorious-ness (is that a word?) of cheesecake makes for a tasty alternative to the boring staple that is the holiday dessert.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

from Paula Deen's Website

Crust:

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined. Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Serves 8.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

2010-11-11T21:53:00.000-06:00

These pumpkin cream cheese muffins are great for breakfast, snack time, dessert...well, pretty much any time of the day. When I make these, Lady H looks at them, points, and says, "nom, nom". I think those were some of her first words, along with "Da-Da" and "Papa".

You really should wait for the muffins to cool before you dig in because the cream cheese filling is really hot, however, one straight from the oven is like a big huge hug for your taste buds.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
from Annie's Eats

For the muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
1¼ cups vegetable oil

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the topping:
½ cup sugar
5 tbsp. flour
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.

To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

Cake Pops

2010-10-26T11:34:00.000-05:00

Ok, so if you consider yourself somewhat of a baker and you haven't heard of cake pops, well, then you need to jump on the bandwagon. These things are insane!! I *might* have a slight addiction towards them; thinking about them, making them, eating them...well, I can't stop the madness. To add to my affliction, a couple of months ago, I was graced with the opportunity to meet the Queen of Cake Pops herself, Bakerella. She has a new book out, which I highly recommend. I have been practicing cake pops for quite a while and this book has really helped me out.

I met Bakerella at a food blog forum I attended in Atlanta. It was all really exciting. Being there with other food bloggers that I follow and finally meeting them was really great. When I found out that Bakerella was going to be there, I brought my Cake Pops book for her to sign. Now, I'm not really a good person to just go up and introduce myself, especially when the person I want to meet is of celebrity status. I don't want to bother them or seem geeky, or even worse, stalker-ish (that's a word, right?) And yes, to me, Bakerella is of celebrity status.

So anyway, I go up to her, with book in hand and I think I give her this shy look, like, "will you sign my book" look.. She asked me if I have ever made cake pops before. I tell her I've been practicing and that I've had some trouble with certain things. She then proceeds to open up the book and then before she autographs it, she asks "Do you want me to make it out to you?"

Me: "Oh yes! That would be great!"

Bakerella: "Okay, what's your name?"

Me:............(insert the sound of crickets)................

Bakerella, looking at my name tag: "It's Shannon!"

Is it geeky to have had this as your Facebook profile pic?

I...FORGOT.... MY NAME?!!?!?!!?!!

I FORGOT MY NAME?!?!?!?!?!

Okay, talk about embarrassing, but hey, I met Bakerella and got my book signed, so SCORE!!

For better detailed instructions and awesome pics of really cute cake pops, go to Bakerella's website.

For cake pops you will need:

1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake) (any flavor you choose)
1 can frosting (16 oz.) (again, any flavor you choose, but cream cheese and vanilla seem to work really well)
1 package candy wafers
(You can buy them at Michael's or Hobby Lobby)
Lollipop Sticks
Styrofoam block

* After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
* Mix thoroughly with 1 can frosting. (I don't use the entire can. I start with a little over half of the can and then eyeball it from there) You don't want the mixture to be too moist, so that's why I don't use the entire can of frosting.
* Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50)
* Chill the balls while you melt your candy. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
* Melt candy in microwave per directions on package.
* Insert lollipop stick into melted candy and then into a cake ball. The melted candy kinda acts like a glue and holds the ball onto the stick.
* Then dip the cake ball straight into the melted candy. Make sure it is completely coated and then lift up, letting the excess candy drip off the ball.
*Now is the time to decorate your cake pop with sprinkles or whatever you desire. You want to make sure that your decorations stick, so decorate before the candy hardens on the cake ball.
* Insert the cake pop into a styrofoam block or something that will keep it right side up so the cake pop can dry and set up.

ONLY because I lost a bet......Crimson Tide Cupcakes

2010-10-25T08:31:00.000-05:00

This hurts me, but a bet is a bet and I keep my word, so here they are....Crimson Tide Cupcakes.

The story behind these cupcakes is a simple one. First of all, for those that don't know me, I am an avid University of Tennessee fan. I love the Vols!! Always have. It's one of the many things that connected me and my Dad. I lost my Dad 6 1/2 years ago and I always tear up at the beginning of the game, when the Pride of The Southland Marching Band forms the Power T and the football players run through, but I know that Dad is there with me enjoying the game too.

Okay, back to the story of the bet. My friend and fellow foodie, So How's It Taste? is an avid University of ~~AlaDAMbama~~ Alabama fan. She told me that if UT beat Bama, she would bake a UT themed item and in turn, if Alabama won, that I should bake a Bama themed treat. Well....here we are.

The cupcakes were fairly easy. I used a boxed red velvet cake mix and I made buttercream frosting and tinted it gray. The houndstooth cupcake liners are from Bake It Pretty. The script A's are made of white chocolate. I printed off an image from the computer of the script A and placed waxed paper over it and traced the image with the melted white chocolate. That seemed to be the most difficult task, as I do not have the most steadiest of hands.

So, Leah, here are your cupcakes. Now I'm going to go fix a drink (my traditional game-day bourbon & Sprite) and listen to Rocky Top!!

Traveling Bites: Grandpa's Cheesebarn, Ashland, OH

2010-10-20T21:26:00.000-05:00

I have relatives that live outside of Cleveland, Ohio. I love visiting them and we try to get up there at least once a year. One of our absolute "must" stops is Grandpa's Cheesebarn in Ashland, OH, just off of I-71.

This place is a cheese lover's heaven. My husband literally starts to get excited when we get near the exit. There are so many different types of cheeses, but also there are different types of meats, jams, jellies, sauces, dips and spreads. You can also find pretzels, crackers, chips and other accompaniments to the all the cheeses and other goods.

The husband, excited and trying all the goods

The case with all the wonderful meats

Not only is there a cheesebarn, there is also a sweet shop. It is my favorite place. The homemade fudge, candies and other treats provide comfort from such a long travel. I must've been really excited to be there, because I didn't get a picture of it!!

So if you find yourself travelling up Ohio, you have to stop at Grandpa's Cheesebarn. You will not be disappointed!

Grandpa's Cheesebarn is located at 668 US Hwy. 250E, Ashland, OH 44805.

White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Blondies

2010-09-30T10:32:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year!! Where football, cooler weather (which we are just now getting in Nashville), and fall baking make my life complete. This is also the time of year when people go crazy over pumpkin. I have to admit, there were a couple of weeks that I went crazy trying to find it. It was nearly impossible. I checked everywhere, even in two different time zones! Then one day last week I get a call from my husband. He tells me that he went to a local grocery store and miraculously found some pumpkin and bought the last 7 cans on the shelf. Call me crazy, but I think that was one of the most romantic things he has ever done for me! You see, I didn't ask him to go and hunt for pumpkin, he just did...on his own. Of course, he may have done it knowing that he would reap the benefits by enjoying all the things I had planned for the pumpkin, but still, it was the phone call that made my day!

I couldn't wait to make these pumpkin blondies. First of all, I love brownies, blondies and basically any baked item that is in bar form. With pumpkin in the recipe, I knew they would be delicious and moist and the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves crank up the fall flavor. Plus, they also make the house smell incredible while baking.

White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Blondies

adapted from Martha Stewart

2 C. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1 C. butter, room temp.

1 1/4 C. sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 C. canned pumpkin puree

1 pkg. white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in white chocolate chips.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan.

Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil and cut into bars.

Makes around 24 blondies.

Pizza Rolls

2010-09-19T16:16:00.000-05:00

When my friend and fellow foodie, So How's It Taste?, told me about these I HAD to try them. I had a ball of pizza dough that I bought at Publix in my freezer just waiting to be turned into these. From the brilliant mind of One Particular Kitchen, these homemade pizza rolls are a perfect snack/lunch/dinner food. One of the best thing about these pizza rolls is that you can customize them anyway you want. I, of course, went the meaty route, with diced pepperoni, diced ham and crumbled sweet Italian sausage. I made them on a weekend and I was really surprised how quick and easy there were to prepare. A perfect food for sitting in front of the TV watching football!

Since I am not that great with photography and even worse at step by step photography, head over to One Particular Kitchen to get the lowdown on making these delicious pizza snacks!

Pizza Rolls
from One Particular Kitchen

You're going to need:
Pizza Dough (the best is from the deli section at Publix) or you could make your own.
Pizza Sauce
Any type of pizza toppings you desire
Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Dental Floss, preferably not mint flavored

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Roll out the pizza dough into a rectangle and then spread pizza sauce over the dough.
Sprinkle on your pizza toppings.
Sprinkle on your cheese.
Gently roll up the dough.

With the dental floss, you will cut slices of the rolls. Slide the floss under the rolled dough, cross the ends over the top like you are going to tie a knot and then pull the ends all the way through the dough so that the floss is straight again. The purpose of the floss is so that you will have a nice, clean cut roll.

Place the rolls in a greased baking dish.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 12-15 minutes.

Brown Sugar Pound Cake Cupcakes with Browned Butter Frosting

2010-08-27T08:41:00.000-05:00

My 14 month old daughter has a bib that says, "My Mom Rocks". If they made those in adult sizes I would totally get one. My Mom does rock! She's awesome! I could create another blog just about her and how great she is.

Her birthday was this past week and I made these cupcakes for her birthday celebration. Let me tell you, these cupcakes are almost as awesome as my mother! The browned butter frosting is so incredible, it will literally make you do a happy dance. The sweetness of the sugar mixed with the nutty, buttery goodness of the browned butter...ah, the combination is heaven. The brown sugar pound cake is really good as well. Coming from my Mother's recipe files, it was always one of my favorites growing up.

Happy Birthday Mom!! You rock!

Brown Sugar Pound Cake Cupcakes

1 C. butter, softened
1 lb. brown sugar
1 C. sugar
5 eggs
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
3 C. sifted all-purpose flour
1 C. evaporated milk
1 t. vanilla

In a large bowl, beat butter till smooth. Gradually add sugars and beat in eggs one at a time. In another bowl, combine salt, baking powder and flour and stir lightly.

Mix milk and vanilla together. At low speed, add dry ingredients and milk mixture alternately. Beat quickly at medium-high speed until well blended.

Line a muffin tin with muffin liners and fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 min. and then remove and let cool completely before frosting.

Browned Butter Frosting
from: Southern Living, April 2006

1 C. butter
16 oz. powdered sugar
1/4 c. milk
1 t. vanilla

Cook butter over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove pan from heat immediately and pour butter into small bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour or until butter is cool and begins to solidify.

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beginning and ending with powdered sugar. Beat mixture at low speed until well blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

BLT Chicken Salad

2010-08-22T21:37:00.000-05:00

I've been lazy. Well, lazy in the blogging since. I haven't really had the time to sit down and blog. The past couple of weeks have been busy in my household. Lady H suffered a small buckle fracture in her left arm and is in a cast for the next couple of weeks. I think the whole ordeal hurt me more than it hurt her, but we are both working through it. So needless to say, my time in my tiny kitchen has been little to none unless it's for a grilled cheese sandwich or a Stouffer's lasagna.

I did, however, find the time to make up a really nice salad. The BBQ based dressing drizzled over grilled chicken and bacon is pretty awesome and filling. A great dish to have for dinner, especially when you don't have the time to spend in a tiny hot kitchen.

From: Southern Living Five Star Recipe Collection 1990

BLT Chicken Salad
Serves 4

1/2 C. mayonnaise
1/4 C. bbq sauce
2 T. grated onion
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. pepper
2 Lg. tomatoes, chopped
8 C. torn leaf lettuce (or your choice of any lettuce)
3 C. chopped cooked chicken
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Combine mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, grated onion, lemon juice and pepper in a small bowl; stir well. Cover and chill dressing mixture thoroughly.

Press chopped tomato between several layers of paper towels to remove excess moisture.

Arrange lettuce on individual salad plates; top each serving with tomato and chopped cooked chicken. Just before serving, spoon dressing mixture over salads and sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

Shark Cupcakes

2010-08-02T09:36:00.000-05:00

It's Shark Week and to celebrate I made cupcakes! Shark Week is a week long event on The Discovery Channel that airs episodes dedicated to sharks. Me? A nerd? OK, maybe. So when I had the idea to make cupcakes for this week long shark festival, I went straight to Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Book. I love it, and I really love the One Bowl Chocolate Cupcake recipe. One bowl! The ease of this recipe is almost as awesome as the actual cupcake itself. For the frosting, I used the Vanilla Buttercream recipe from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. To make the shark fin, I just removed the yummy center from an Oreo cookie, cut the cookie in half, dipped it in melted and gray tinted vanilla canned frosting and let dry. The shark fin idea is from the brilliant minds of the people who wrote Hello Cupcake. If you love cupcakes as much as I do, I highly suggest you buy this book.

On one of my favorite TV shows, 30 Rock, Tracy Morgan's character advises to "Live every week like it's Shark Week." If that means eating cupcakes and watching TV, I am so there!

One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

1 1/2 C. all purpose flour
3/4 C. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 C. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
3/4 C. buttermilk
3 Tbl. vegetable oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 C. warm water

Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Reduce speed to low. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, extract, and the water, beat until smooth and combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cook completely.

Traditional Vanilla Buttercream from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

1 C. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft
8 cups, confectioners' sugar
1/2 C. milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and the vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency (you may very well not need all of the sugar). Use and store icing at room temperature, as icing will set if chilled. Can store in airtight container up to three days.

Traveling Bites: Atlanta

2010-07-30T14:40:00.000-05:00

I love to travel. I love getting away from my everyday boring routines, so I was so excited to drop Lady H. off at my Mom's, grab my BFF, and drive to Atlanta. We had scheduled a girl's spa weekend and we had lots of fun, as we always do where ever we go. Even though our spa experience was slightly less than stellar, we still got a good laugh and enjoyed our time. Next door to the spa was a specialty chocolate shop, LW Chocolatier, so of course we went inside. It was just a cute little boutique, very neat and very chic. We ended up just getting a couple of pieces to share. Let me tell you, those chocolates were outstanding! I definitely recommend the sweet raspberry truffle, raspberry marmalade filling inside a milk chocolate or bittersweet chocolate molded shell. Wonderful!!

The rectangular chocolate is a chocolate mousse truffle, dulce de leche truffle is wrapped in silver foil, and the milk chocolate truffle with the dark chocolate dot is a mocha filled truffle!! All were just magnificent and such a great treat right after a 60 minute Swedish massage and traumatizing reflexology! Yum. LW Chocolatier is located at One Buckhead Plaza, 3060 Peachtree Rd. NW Suite 40, Atlanta, GA 30305.

After several hours of shopping, we ate dinner (forgot to take camera, but we gabbed the whole time anyway) and shopped some more and then crashed at the hotel. The next morning I told the BFF that we simply must go find Sublime Doughnuts. I had seen Sublime in Southern Living Magazine and also on Bakerella's Website. They just looked way too good to pass up.

The BFF got the dulce de leche and the raspberry filled dark chocolate iced heart. (Can you see a trend? The BFF loves the raspberry/chocolate combo). She graciously let me try both and they were wonderful.

I got the fresh strawberries n cream and the A-town Mocha. The fresh strawberries n cream was aaaa-mazing! It's a regular doughnut dusted with powdered sugar and filled with fresh strawberry slices and vanilla cream cheese. I seriously think I blacked out for a second because of the overload of sheer deliciousness from this doughnut.

My second treat was the A-Town Mocha, which was "A" shaped and filled with a mocha cream filling and iced with a vanilla glaze.

Yikes!! This was incredible as well, and I'm not even that crazy about mocha flavored stuff!! We walked out of Sublime happy, satisfied, and ready to hit the shops. If you are in the Atlanta area, or even just passing through on I-75, you have to stop and get some of these insanely delicious treats. Sublime Doughnuts is located at 535 10th St., NW, Atlanta, GA 30318.

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie

2010-07-19T11:04:00.000-05:00

Chocolate chip cookies. They are pretty much awesome. The sugary goodness, the chocolaty splendor, the small bite of salt...man, it's heavenly. And don't even get me started on chocolate chip cookie dough. Sometimes we just buy a tube of cookie dough or I make a batch with intentions of never baking it. Yeah, I know there is raw egg in there, but to tell you the truth, that doesn't really phase me. I guess I am too overcome with the excitement of impending bliss that I will experience once a spoonful of cookie dough touches my lips. Yeah, I'm kind of a freak.

However, when I really want an actual homemade chocolate chip cookie, this is my go to recipe. I know that when I make these cookies, they all get baked. To me, this cookie dough is not as tasty as others. It could be because instead of butter, I use butter flavored Crisco. Yeah, that's right, I said Crisco, as in shortening. Now, a lot of people are totally turned off by shortening, but let me tell you, this dough yields a wonderfully crisp cookie on the outside with a soft and chewy center. They are so good right out the oven. So, if the idea of butter flavored vegetable shortening doesn't make your stomach turn, I suggest you make a batch of these cookies immediately. You won't be disappointed.

Source: From the paper packaging wrapped around the butter flavored Crisco sticks

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie

¾ C (3/4 stick) butter flavor Crisco
1 ¼ C. firmly packed light brown sugar
2 T. milk
1 T. vanilla
1 egg
1 ¾ C all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp baking soda
1-2 C chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine Crisco, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Beat egg into creamed mixture. Combine salt, flour, and baking soda. Mix into creamed mixture just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

Bake one sheet at a time for 8-10 minutes.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Parmesan Zucchini

2010-07-15T16:22:00.000-05:00

Summertime in this household means fresh veggies. My husband literally does a happy dance this time of year because he gets so excited about the fresh corn, tomatoes, and other fresh veggies that come to us via my cousin's garden. I must say, I do get excited about it too. For a couple of years now, I've been making this zucchini with Parmesan dish. It's a simple side that can easily steal the spotlight from your entree.

Adapted from: Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Parmesan Zucchini

5-6 Medium Zucchini
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
3/4 C. grated Parmesan Cheese

Remove the ends of the zucchini and cut in half lengthwise. Slice the zucchini in 1/2-inch slices. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan. Add half the zucchini*, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook, tossing occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until just cooked through. Sprinkle with Parmesan and cook for 30 seconds more. Remove to a serving platter and repeat with the rest of the zucchini. Serve immediately.

*You may have to cook the zucchini in two batches, as it will steam if it is too overcrowded in the pan.

I also sprinkle some extra Parmesan cheese over the finished zucchini right before I serve it.

Happy Birthday U.S.A.

2010-07-03T12:24:00.000-05:00

We are meeting at my Mom's for Fourth of July weekend for a cookout and fireworks display so I wanted to make something sweet, easy and patriotic. I saw this cute idea on the Taste of Home website.
I just got a box of white cake mix and divided the batter into three different bowls. I used food coloring gel in red and royal blue and mixed each color into the divided cake batter. I then layered each color of the batter into the cupcake liners. Topped with almond cream cheese frosting, these cupcakes scream Happy Birthday U.S.A.!

Adapted from Taste of Home:

Patriotic Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix
1/2 tsp. almond extract
Red food coloring
Blue food coloring

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare cake mix according to directions on box. Mix in 1/2 tsp. of almond extract.
Divide batter into 3 bowls, one bowl for red color, one bowl for blue color and leave the white batter in mixing bowl. Color batter to desired shade of red and blue. Spoon batter into cupcake liners layering each color. Bake according to directions on box.

Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick of butter, softened
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 box powdered sugar

Blend cream cheese, butter, and almond extract. Mix in powdered sugar. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Salted Caramel Brownies

2010-06-30T09:16:00.000-05:00

I wanted to make something quick and relatively easy this past weekend so, of course, brownies were the first thing that entered my brain. I think I may be one of those crazies that likes the box mix better than homemade. I think Duncan Hines makes a pretty awesome brownie mix and I always have a box in my pantry. So, I had this thought of swirling some caramel in the brownies to make them extra yummy. Then I thought since I've been hearing so much about salted caramel, I'd throw that in too. I melted some caramels in a double boiler along with a can of sweetened condensed milk and then added some kosher salt. I added just a little at a time because you can always add, but you can never take away..you just end up throwing away. The caramel was so nice, with it's slight salty flavor and the little crunch from the kosher salt. It was such a great treat just dipping a spoon in the caramel mixture and sampling. I might have done it more than once. *wink*

So I prepared the brownie mix as instructed on the box. I used the recipe for "cake-like" brownies as opposed to the "fudgy" type. I just felt if they were more cakey, they could hold up the caramel better. I took half the brownie batter and poured into prepared 13x9 pan and then poured the caramel mixture over the brownie batter. Then I poured the remaining batter into the pan and then heavily drizzled the caramel mixture over the top of the batter. I didn't use all the caramel mixture because I thought it might be too much, but I think I could have went with more, as some brownies didn't really have that much caramel. My husband didn't mind the left over caramel though. I think it was gone within minutes.

Salted Caramel Brownies

1 Box of Brownie Mix
35 caramels
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. kosher salt (I added 1/2 tsp at a time..you may like less or more..totally up to your taste buds)

In double boiler, place the caramels and can of sweetened condensed milk. Stir often and let the caramels melt into the milk. Once the caramels have melted, stir in the kosher salt. Prepare brownie mix as directed on box and pour half the batter into 13x9 pan. Then pour about 1/2 or so of the caramel mixture on top of brownie batter. Repeat with remaining brownie batter and then caramel mixture on top. Bake according to directions on box. Let cool before cutting.

Oreo Truffles

2010-06-21T22:08:00.000-05:00

I think Oreos are pretty awesome. The chocolate cookie. The creamy center. They are great. My mom only bought Oreos every now and then, and I would beg for the double stuff, but I never won. Either way, I was happy to have a handful of Oreos and a glass of milk available to me. So when my Mom came to me with this recipe for something called Oreo Truffles, I was intrigued. In the beginning, we would only make these at Christmas and include them in our usual holiday baking repertoire. They have now evolved into delightful novelties for baby showers, birthday parties, and other special occasions. The picture above is of some Oreo truffles that I made for a co-worker's baby shower. I thought they turned out pretty cute. I love pink and brown.

These are some truffles that I made for my daughter's first birthday party we had last Saturday. I attempted to make ladybugs since the theme for the party was ladybugs. I wasn't too impressed with my skills, but to be fair, I did do this at midnight.

I couldn't resist. I had to post a pic of the little one with her birthday cake. First taste of cake and frosting. So maybe staying up past midnight making Oreo Truffles was worth it!!

Oreo Truffles

1 pkg. of Oreo
1 8oz. cream cheese, softened
Almond Bark or any candy coating

Put the whole package of Oreos in the food processor and pulse until they make a fine crumb. Then add the softened cream cheese and pulse until it makes a dough. Chill the dough for about 15-30 minutes. It makes it easier to handle. Then roll into bite-sized balls and dip into the melted candy coating. Place on waxed paper and let dry or place in fridge for a quicker set up. Enjoy!

Almond Pound Cake

2010-06-09T20:21:00.000-05:00

I've had a rough week in the kitchen, and yes, it's only Wednesday. On Monday, I attempted to make Roasted Garlic and Citrus Chicken and ended up with a half done bird and shattered glass everywhere in my oven. I don't have a roasting pan with rack so I put the bird in a Pyrex dish. After it exploded, I had this overwhelming feeling that maybe I should've known better than to roast a chicken in a glass Pyrex dish. Either way, shards of glass were going off like fireworks on the fourth of July in my oven.

Which brings us to Tuesday. I attempted Whole Grain Double Chocolate Muffins only to stop the baking process 8 minutes in due to the smoke from the chicken drippings from the previous night's fiasco. So, I let the oven cool, put Lady H. down for a nap and then deep cleaned the oven. It was gross. So after the oven was cleaned, I put the muffins back in, only to have the bottoms of them stick to the pan when I tried to get them out.

Well this evening, I made almond pound cake from a box. Yes, a box. I'm not one of those that thinks I'm above box cake mix. I have issues with canned frosting, but boxed cake mix is my friend.

This is by far the best boxed pound cake mix you can get. It's from Tastefully Simple and it's delicious. I love almond flavoring and this pound cake is full of it. Just the smell of the batter makes me extremely happy. It's great for breakfast with a cup of coffee and it's great for dessert with a glass of milk. Basically, it's great anytime of day. It also goes great with their Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread.

Visit Tastefully Simple's Website and either order or find a consultant in your area for a party because they have lots of delicious and easy mixes that should be staples in your pantry.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2010-06-01T22:39:00.000-05:00

Even though they may not be fancy and can be somewhat boring, chocolate chip cookies are still one of my favorite things. In my household, I'm lucky if all the dough makes it into cookie form. When I saw a post on Bakerella for these, I simply had to make them.

Bakerella called these "brookies -a cookie and a brownie". They are also called "Congo Bars". I have never heard that term before, but whatever these are called, you can bet they are delicious. When I made them, I mixed the batter by hand, as I (and Bakerella) believe that it results in more of a brownie like texture. I mean, think about it, you don't really use a mixer to mix brownie batter do you? Well, I don't. I use good ole fashioned elbow grease. I also lined the pan with parchment paper with excess coming out over the sides so they could be easily pulled out of the pan so I could cut them evenly.

I made these to take to the in-laws for a Sunday dinner. I ended up taking only half the pan because my husband ate most of them, but in his defense, they are pretty crazy good!

Recipe from Bakerella

Congo Bars
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)

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. If the bars aren’t done at 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 insert and check for doneness before removing from the oven.

Braised Short Ribs

2010-05-26T22:01:00.000-05:00

The hubby and I have been seeing a lot of short ribs being prepared on food shows lately and I have to say, I've been a little intrigued by them. I've never tasted or prepared them, so when we saw them marked down at the local grocery store, we snatched them up. I remember seeing an episode on Food Network where Anne Burrell prepared some delicious looking short ribs, so off to the website I went. I was a little overwhelmed by the recipe, but I decided that I was going to follow through.

I have to say, for the amount of time that I put into this meal, I was expecting a knock out dish, and I didn't get that. Maybe it was because it was due to the cut of meat or because braising is not my choice of method for cooking, but I just wasn't impressed. I'm one of those weirdos that likes a little bite to the meat, I don't like it so tender that it falls off the bone. (crazy, I know). The braising liquid was good, but extremely hearty. The hubby said it was "ok", so I didn't get a "OMG, you gotta make this again" scream; however, I had a great excuse to get out my Le Creuset pot and use it!!

Anne Burrell's Braised Short Ribs from Food Network's Website

Bone-in short ribs (about 5 3/4 pounds)
Kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 1/2 cups tomato paste
2 to 3 cups hearty red wine
2 cups water
1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string
2 bay leaves

Season each short rib generously with salt. Coat a pot large enough to accommodate all the meat and vegetables with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown very well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pan. Cook in batches, if necessary.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

While the short ribs are browning, puree all the vegetables and garlic in the food processor until it forms a coarse paste. When the short ribs are very brown on all sides, remove them from the pan. Drain the fat, coat the bottom of same pan with fresh oil and add the pureed vegetables. Season the vegetables generously with salt and brown until they are very dark and a crud has formed on the bottom of the pan, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape the crud and let it reform. Scrape the crud again and add the tomato paste. Brown the tomato paste for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat if things start to burn. Reduce the mixture by half.

Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups water or until the water has just about covered the meat. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water, if needed. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking to let things get nice and brown and to let the sauce reduce. When done the meat should be very tender but not falling apart. Serve with the braising liquid.
Serves 8.

Queen Bee Cupcakes

2010-05-21T22:38:00.001-05:00

I have an intense love for cupcakes, so when I saw this vintage Airstream trailor that bakes and sells cupcakes, I almost screamed. Ok, well maybe I did scream a little. I mean, how cute is this? I totally wish I would've thought this up. So I jumped out of the car and went up to the window to order my cupcakes (yes, that's cupcakes, plural. I mean, you have to try more than one, right?)

And then the decisions.....

Decisions, decisions, decisions......hmmmm.

Well, all the cupcakes I got were phenomenal! I purchased three to try and share with the family. A no brainer was the Chocolate Pink - coffee infused chocolate cake topped with pink vanilla frosting...YUM-O!! It was wonderful. The chocolate cake was so moist and light. I enjoyed the vanilla frosting because I didn't think it was too sweet and it complemented the cake very well. Also, the cake to frosting ratio on all the cupcakes was perfect. Next up, I got the Chocolate Lover's - coffee infused chocolate cake with a fudgy chocolate frosting. Talk about chocolatey, this one totally lives up to it's name! The texture of the fudgy frosting was nice and, well, fudgy. The third and final cupcake I got was the Chocolate Peanut Butter - the coffee infused chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting topped with a peanut. The peanut butter frosting was awesome, just the right amount of peanut butter and sugar. After I bought the cupcakes, I realized I got all chocolate cake, which upset me, because I really would've loved to have tried the vanilla bean cake that they also have on their menu. I know it has to be insanely good!!

Queen Bee Cupcakes is located at 2235 E. Co. Hwy 30A, Seaside, FL, 32459.

Sausage Pie

2010-05-14T21:09:00.001-05:00

I love Paula Deen. I know she can be a little over the top at times, but I just love her. This quiche is from her collection of wonderful and easy recipes. It is really good. I mean, with the mixture of sausage and cheese, you can't go wrong. Paula calls this Ron's Tybee Island Sausage Pie. I call it delicious!

From Paula's Home Cooking on Food Network
www.foodnetwork.com

Ron's Tybee Island Sausage Pie

Ilb. ground sausage
1/3 chopped onion
1 T. butter
3/4 C. milk
1 (3oz.) pkg. cream cheese
3 eggs
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt (use less if the sausage is salty)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie crust, partially baked and cooled

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a heavy skillet over medium heat, crumble the sausage with a fork. Saute the sausage until completely cooked. Drain off the fat, remove the sausage, and set aside. Melt the butter in another skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions in the butter until tender. Add the milk and heat until steam rises, but do not boil the milk. Cut the cream cheese into small pieces, add it to the onion mixture, and remove the pan from the heat. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then add the cheddar, the onion mixture, the Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly and pour this into the piecrust. Top with cooked sausage, and bake for 30 minutes, or until set.

Ahhh, vacation

2010-05-06T21:50:00.000-05:00

Finally. A vacation. I love vacation and honestly, it could be to anywhere. Yeah, I love the beach, but I also love the mountains, the city, basically anywhere far from home. And you want to know my favorite thing about vacation?! Dining out, of course. Breakfast is by far my favorite meal out and the best place to get the best breakfast on vacation is The Donut Hole in Destin, FL.

I was first introduced to this place in 2008 while vacationing with my BFF and her hubby. Wow!! She knows me well. I love this place. The homefries are awesomely good, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The omelets are huge and do not disappoint.

The hubby had Granola Pancakes, which were also pretty darn good. Of course he couldn't finish them. They took over the plate with all their yummy goodness. They also have Sweet Potato Pancakes with a Praline Sauce. I didn't get a chance to try those. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to go back soon....very soon.

The Donut Hole is located on Harbor Blvd in Destin and also on Hwy. 98 E. in Santa Rosa Beach.

* Side note - yes, The Donut Hole makes donuts, pies, cakes, and other pastries. I have had the donuts and they are wonderful, however, they were unable to be photographed due to unforeseen circumstances on the ride home from the restaurant or in other words, I kinda ate them. Oh well, maybe next time?

Sometimes the Simplest Things Make the Biggest Impact

2010-04-16T21:03:00.000-05:00

Wow! What can I say about this Cream Cheese Danish?! It's been in the family for quite a while. Actually, my Mom got this recipe verbally from a woman she met at a family member's memorial service 15 years ago. As time has gone by, I've put my own little spin on this incredible and heavenly dessert item.

When my husband was a sales rep, I would make several for him to take to local businesses and doctors' offices. He almost always received a call back. I made one for my OBGYN while I was 8 months pregnant just to say "thanks for the excellent care". At my next appointment, the office staff and nurses referred to me as "The Danish Lady". I even had my Mom make one to give to the nurses that took care of me while I was in the hospital for the birth of my daughter. Needless to say, we have made this dish for many, many occasions. I mean, it's cream cheese mixed with sugar, what more can I say?!!!

And speaking of cream cheese, it is a total staple in my house. You will always find several blocks of it in my fridge. I never go without and I always buy Philadelphia brand cream cheese. Mom has always said never tell the family secrets, always have a clean pair of underwear in case you are ever in a wreck, and always, always buy Philadelphia cream cheese. With just a handful of ingredients to this dish, it's so easy to make a big impact when it's taken to any function.

The Cream Cheese Danish
Adapted by: Me

2 tubes crescent rolls*(I have found Pillsbury works best...I know, I seem like a brand name snob, but I'm telling you, it's worth it)
2 (8oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract

For topping:
5 T. butter, softened
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Grease a 9x13 pan. Take one tube of crescent roll dough and roll out so it covers entire bottom of pan. Blend the cream cheese, sugar and extract until smooth. Take cream cheese mixture and spread on top of the crescent roll dough. Take the 2nd tube of dough and cover the top of the cream cheese mixture. Then combine the softened butter, sugar and cinnamon and crumble (or spread, depending on consistency of your butter mixture) on top.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Cool before cutting.

*I love that Pillsbury now has the Seamless Dough Sheets. It's the crescent roll dough only without the perforations. I love them!!

Cupcakes For A Cause

2010-04-13T22:14:00.000-05:00

I've been begging my husband for months to go on a nice fun weekend mini-vacation. When I realized I was making headway, I researched some places where we could go that were in a reasonable driving distance to where we live. So while I was researching places on the internet, I was playing around on my facebook page and somehow I ran across a fan page for Cupcakes For Cures. "Cupcakes"? Well, of course that sparked my interest (I'm overly obsessed with cupcakes). Upon further investigation, I learned that Cupcakes for Cures was a cupcake competition taking place in Asheville, NC in order to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. The Cupcakes for Cures is the idea of a couple of Ashevillians who created the competition as part as their Relay for Life Team. Genius!!!!!!

Competitors included professional bakers, amateurs, and youth. The categories for the cupcakes were: Best Birthday, Best Gluten-Free, Best Holiday or Special Occasion, Best Savory, Best Beer, and Best Local Foods. I tried several from all categories and they were all amazing. I'm telling you I didn't taste one that I didn't like. The husband and I had lots of fun sampling so many delicious cupcakes.

This is a picture of the Best in Show. It is a Guinness Cupcake with a Coffee Meringue Buttercream with Toffee Sprinkles on top. Yeah, it was phenomenal!

People donated hand-made aprons for the apron auction! I got a matching pair (one for me and one for my daughter) with cupcakes on it, of course!!!

Wow!!! The sugar buzz begins!

The 1st place winners in all the categories got some killer gift baskets with tons of wonderful stuff like insanely cute cupcake liners, sprinkles, toppers and even cupcake bandaids (aahh)! I was definitely drooling over them! The Best In Show prize was a dinner, 1 night stay and breakfast at the Grove Park Inn. Not too shabby!

We had a really fun time and it was great knowing that while we were stuffing our faces with awesome cupcakes, we were also helping to contribute to the fight against cancer!