Sarah – Page 5 – DessertedPlanet.com

Bacon, Bourbon and Peanut Puppy Chow

January 10, 2013 1 Comment

I know it may sound silly, but I love puppy chow (also known as muddy buddies to some). And just like 7-Layer Bars, I had never made it before! Crazy, right? Puppy chow is such a holiday thing to me and I always knew someone else would be bringing it to whatever function I’d be attending so I’ve never bothered to make it. However, I have always thought that puppy chow needed revamping. It’s totally yummy but am I the only one that would look for the little nuggets of two or more Chex squares stuck together with an excess of the chocolate and peanut butter mixture?? Know what I’m talking about? Yes, I’d pick through the puppy chow mix to find those little scrumptious morsels–I’m not ashamed! I’ve just always thought it needs MORE chocolate and peanut butter goodness. So I decided to do something about it!

I started off doubling the chocolate and peanut butter mixture but then I thought it needed something more. And that something was alcohol! Can’t go wrong adding booze to a dessert, right?! But then my evil mind went even further and thought it needed something even more…like bacon….and peanuts. Yes, bourbon, bacon and peanuts…in puppy chow. Things got crazy up in my kitchen people. Crazy in a VERY GOOD way. What resulted was the yummiest puppy chow I’ve ever had. No more digging for the little morsels of Chex Squares stuck together–there were plenty of those! Now if you don’t want to add all the additional ingredients and stick closer to the classic, that’s totally ok…but the bourbon, bacon and peanuts add such another dimension of yumminess to it. I highly recommend! Fabulous sweet/salty snack for a Superbowl party!

Enjoy!

Bacon, Bourbon and Peanut Puppy Chow

Ingredients

1 c. Smooth Peanut Butter (I prefer Peter Pan)
½ c. Unsalted Butter (I'm sure salted would work fine too)
2 c. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 T. Pure Vanilla Extract
⅓ c. Bourbon
1 lb. Bacon, cooked and chopped (I tore the fatty pieces off of mine)
2 c. Dry-Roasted Peanuts
9 c. Chex Rice Cereal
3 c. Powdered Sugar

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the cereal, bacon and peanuts.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt the peanut butter, butter and chocolate chips at 30-second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each until completely melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla and bourbon.
Pour the chocolate/peanut butter mixture over the cereal mixture and toss gently until all the cereal is evenly coated.
Place the powdered sugar in a large bag. (You could use a large Ziploc type bag but it will probably not be big enough. I used a large paper bag and I recommend doing that.) Add the chocolate/peanut butter and cereal mixture to the bag. Shake the bag vigorously to evenly coat each piece of the puppy chow with powdered sugar.
Once the mixture is fully coated, store in an airtight container.

Notes

Makes 15, 1-cup servings.

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Bars, Desserts, Recipes

7-Layer Bars

January 8, 2013 1 Comment

Believe it or not, I have never made 7-Layer Bars. Shocking, right?! I’ve always really enjoyed them at parties and church functions but just never made them myself. And I’m not sure why because wow, they are easy and delicious (duh). I thought they’d be a great Superbowl dessert and believe it or not, that blessed event is right around the corner. So it’s time to start planning your menu people! It’s all about the food. At least for me it is…I could kind of care less about football. Sorry, it’s true.

Ok, let’s get to the bars. The recipe I used called for a potato chip crust which I thought would give it a more salty component but I didn’t notice it much. So I might add in 1/4 teaspoon or so of salt to the potato chip mixture next time I make them. Just fyi. And traditionally the crust is graham cracker so feel free to swap out the potato chips for graham cracker crumbs and follow the recipe accordingly. I’m not sure which I prefer more. The potato chip crust actually turned out kind of chewy which I love but I also adore graham cracker crusts so…yeah. Flip a coin? Anyway, this recipe is fabulous, you can’t mess it up and it really is super easy and great for parties. Try them!

Oh and if you want some more Superbowl sweets ideas, check out these past blog posts here and here! I’ll have another great Superbowl recipe later this week for puppy chow–with a twist! If you like booze, you’re gonna love it. And even if you don’t like booze, you’re gonna love it. Seriously. Stay tuned!

7-Layer Bars

Ingredients

3 c. Regular, Salted Potato Chips, crushed
1½ sticks Unsalted Butter, melted
4 T. Granulated Sugar
12 oz. (2 c.) pkg. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
12 oz. (2 c. ) pkg. Butterscotch Chips
12 oz. (2 c. ) pkg. White Chocolate Chips
1½ c. Walnuts, coarsely chopped and toasted
3 c. Flaked, Sweetened Coconut, toasted
2, 14 oz. Cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 t. Pure Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease 9x13 pan.
Combine potato chips, sugar and melted butter. Press into the bottom of the pan.
Top the crust with the following ingredients, in order: semi-sweet chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, walnuts and coconut. Combine the sweetened condensed milk with vanilla and pour over the layers.
Bake for 30 minutes and let cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an air-tight container.

Notes

Makes 18 squares.

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Cookie, Desserts, Healthy, Recipes

Peanut Butter and Banana Quinoa Cookies

January 3, 2013 No Comments

Woo hoo it’s the first recipe of the new year!!! I’m so excited. How about you? I know you’ve just been waiting on the edge of your seat to see what the first super-indulgent, sugar-laden, fattening recipe would be, right?? Well, the wait is over! And I really hope you’re not too disappointed because…it’s a HEALTHY recipe! Yay!!! Oh, am I the only one saying yay?? Surely not. I know there had to have been some of you feeling like I was after Christmas…in need of a major refined sugar and fat break. And I know someone out there made a resolution to eat healthier and drop some weight. Well, this recipe fits the healthy-yet-incredibly-yummy bill to a “t”!

I was soooo pleased with how these came out. I took great liberty with this recipe and tweaked it to my liking. It’s got tons of protein from the quinoa, no refined sugar and whole grains. It’s seriously amazing. I’ve actually been eating these for breakfast. They’re quite filling and not too sweet. Hope you love them as much as I do and they help you stick to that new healthy living resolution!

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter and Banana Quinoa Cookies

Ingredients

1 c. Thick-Cut Oats
1 c. White Whole Wheat Flour
¼ t. Baking Powder
¼ t. Sea Salt (I prefer pink himalayan)
¼ c. Sucanant (or just use more honey)
½ c. All-Natural, Organic Peanut Butter (I use one that has no salt, oil, etc)
1 Large Egg, lightly beaten
1 Ripe Banana, mashed
2 t. Pure Vanilla Extract
⅓ c. Honey
2 c. Cooked Quinoa

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the white whole wheat flour, oats, baking powder, salt and sucanant. In a medium bowl, stir together the peanut butter, egg, banana, vanilla and honey until smooth.
Add the peanut butter mixture and quinoa to the dry ingredients. Stir together until everything is thoroughly combined. Drop by large spoonfuls onto the baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes, rotating pans and switching racks halfway through. Let cool on pans for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store in an air-tight container.

Notes

Makes 20 cookies.

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Cake, Desserts, Healthy, Life

2013 Baking Resolutions

January 1, 2013 No Comments

The Baked Brownie. One of my favorite recipes to date!

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all had a fabulous New Year’s Eve and are, ahem, recovering from whatever merriment you may have participated in! I had a laid back, quiet evening in with my hubby and have to say it was very, very nice. Sometimes you just need to relax and rest!

Last year I made a few baking resolutions for myself and have to confess I am not too proud of how (un)successful I was with them. Let’s review, shall we?

1. Bake more international desserts. Ummm, yeah. Massive failure on this one. Early in the year I actually attempted to make Brazo de Mercedes, a delicious Filipino dessert and a favorite dessert of mine, period. It’s an airy, spongy, meringue-like cake spread with a lemon custard and rolled up. It’s divine. And I was doing ok until I got to the rolling part…one crack led to another and before I knew it, custard was oozing everywhere. And that was the beginning and end of the international dessert experiments.

2. Bake more classic desserts. This one I actually accomplished…sort of. I didn’t do nearly as many as I wanted but I did manage to bake a delicious Coconut Cake, a Hummingbird Cake and a Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake. I really love cakes so I’m going to try and do a few more classics this year and probably a few not-so-classics.

Orange-Italian-Cream-Cake-Slice — Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake

3. Bake more challenging desserts. Hah. Hah. HAH. I have no patience and in fact have quite a collection of one-pan, easy, no-bake desserts on my blog so that should tell you everything you need to know about that particular resolution.

4. Bake more healthy desserts. I’m pleased to say this resolution is one that I did accomplish. Probably because we eat fairly healthy in our household so making these desserts meant we could actually eat them and didn’t have to send them away to my husband’s office to be devoured. I managed to make them quite regularly for the blog and as a matter of fact the first recipe of the new year later this week will indeed be HEALTHY. Yay!

ChocolateChip-Quinoa-Trail-Mix-Balls — Chocolate Chip Quinoa Trail Mix Balls

So what are my baking resolutions for this year??? I only have one.

1. Make what I ENJOY baking.

What a concept, right?! I have realized that the resolutions from last year that I succeeded in are actually things that I truly enjoy making and eating. Too often I think I have to push my limits and do things that require extreme skill and time. Or I get consumed with trying to figure out what recipe will get “pinned” the most on Pinterest or trying to figure out what other people want to bake at the time, what’s trendy, what holiday it is…you get the point. And I’ll still keep all those things in mind but I won’t let it dictate what I put on Desserted Planet. I’ll do things that I genuinely enjoy and get pleasure from making. I’m pretty excited about it!

So what are your resolutions, baking or otherwise? I’d really love to hear them!

Desserts, Dip, No-Bake, Recipes

New Year’s Eve Eats – Dessert Dips!

December 29, 2012 No Comments

Red Velvet Cake Batter Dip by Cookie Crazed Mama

Hey friends! Man, I feel like I’ve barely recovered from all the Christmas baking and New Year’s Eve is staring me right in the face! Ack! I’m not gonna lie, at this point I’m not sure what I’m going to bake, if anything, and quite truthfully these no-bake dessert dips are looking pretty good to me right now. Very short list of ingredients, no oven involved and just darn tasty. So this is the direction I think I’m gonna go…because I actually want to enjoy my New Year’s and not drive myself crazy the next couple of days baking non-stop in the kitchen. Just keepin’ it real people!

So what are your New Year’s baking plans? Or do you have any?? I’d love to know!

P.S. Check out last year’s New Year’s Eve dessert inspiration here!

Cherry Cheesecake Dip

Pumpkin Pie Dip

White Chocolate Oreo Fluff Dip

Raspberry Lemon Fruit Dip

Red Velvet Cake Batter Dip

S’mores Dip

Pina Colada Fruit Dip

Brownie Batter Dip

Orange Creamsicle Fruit Dip

Monster Cookie Dough Dip

Peanut Butter & Yogurt Dip

Fruit Salsa Dip

Nutella Yogurt Fruit Dip

Caramel Cheesecake Dip

Chocolate Toffee Cookie Dough Dip

Snickerdoodle Dip

Breakfast, Recipes

Baked Caramel Soaked French Toast

December 28, 2012 No Comments

Baked French Toast Casserole — Photo by Food Network

A big, indulgent breakfast is very, VERY rare around our house. Which is why I looooved this past Christmas with my in-laws. We did breakfast together at my brother and sister-in-laws house on Christmas morning and it is a breakfast I shall never forget. Bagels, toast, doughnuts, waffles, pancakes…what are those?? No, no, no people. I’m talking BREAKFAST. Ham, hashbrown casserole, thick-cut maple bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs and a yummy fruit salad. Oh and…..Baked Caramel Soaked French Toast Casserole. Holy crap.

My sister-in-law Rachel, of Foodie Rachel, did the majority of the baking and cooking and man, she totally outdid herself, especially with this French toast casserole. My intention was to have a small piece of the sweet, syrupy baked goodness but once I had a taste, I was mentally restraining myself from eating whatever was left in the pan. It was TO. DIE. FOR. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of her French toast casserole that morning but just envision thick slices of French bread, drenched in a sticky, gooey caramel syrup sauce. (The picture above is the best I could come up with but definitely does NOT do the casserole justice.)

Are you drooling yet? Yeah, it’s good. Try it this weekend or maybe make if for a special New Year’s Day breakfast! Fabulous way to start the new year.

Enjoy!

Baked Caramel Soaked French Toast

Ingredients

1½ c. Brown Sugar
¾ c. Butter
¼ c. plus 2T. Corn Syrup
1 lb. Loaf French Bread, cut into 10 slices, about 1¾ inches thick
4 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
2½ c. Half and Half
1 T. Pure Vanilla Extract
¼ t. Salt
3 T. Sugar
1½ t. Cinnamon
¼ c. Butter, melted

Instructions

Cook the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Pour into a 9x13 baking pan.
Arrange bread over syrup.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla and salt. Pour over bread layers, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or at least eight hours.
Remove casserole from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over casserole. Drizzle with butter.
Bake for 45 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes

Serves 8.

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Desserts, Ice Cream, Life

Christmas Delivery from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

December 23, 2012 No Comments

Christmas came a little bit early this year. My husband surprised me a few weeks ago with this little box from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams (my favorite ice cream). See, where we live we only have access to Jeni’s at a few local grocery stores that carry a very limited selection of their ice cream. So it pained me that I wasn’t able to get my hands on their holiday flavors. But my husband decided to do something about it and ordered four pints of ice cream (the minimum order off of their website), two holiday flavors and two flavors that I had just been dying to try forever.

I was so excited to get this box and completely surprised! Opening it up and discovering the flavors he had ordered was so fun! We had our very own Boozy Eggnog, Dark Chocolate Peppermint, Queen City Cayenne and Cherry Lambic Sorbet. They had been frozen in dry ice which meant they were rock solid so we waited and left them sitting out on the counter for about 30 minutes (pure torture!) and finally were able to take a couple bites of each. Seriously, guys…pure HEAVEN. It is so hard to even adequately describe the deliciousness of each of the flavors but please take my word for it when I say they were each equally amazing. I thought for sure my favorite would be the Dark Chocolate Peppermint, but I found myself absolutely craving the Cherry Lambic Sorbet. It’s literally like thousands of sweet, dark, juicy cherries concentrated into each and every creamy, cold bite. I’m totally in love.

Unfortunately it’s too late to order Jeni’s in time for Christmas but who cares?! Order it anyways! Even if it comes late, it’s still the best gift you’ll get this year!

Desserts

Candy Cane Dip and Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies

December 21, 2012 1 Comment

I’m sure you’ve learned by now I have a slight obsession with mint and chocolate. From cupcakes to brownies, it might be my all time favorite combination. This dip and cookies take that obsession to a whole new level. The dip is divine. As in, eat-it-with-a-spoon, divine. It’s creamy, pepperminty, flecked with candy cane chunks and so different than anything else I’ve made for Christmas. Seriously, if you want to wow people at your next holiday party, make this dip. It literally took me about five minutes to mix together and then I made these Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies to go with them. A match made in heaven. The dip would also be good with bite-size brownies, chocolate chip cookies or even pretzels.

Enjoy!

Candy Cane Dip and Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

8 oz. pkg. Cream Cheese, softened
7 oz. Marshmallow Creme
1 c. Powdered Sugar
1½ t. Pure Peppermint Oil
½ c. Crushed Candy Canes (plus a little bit more for garnish)

Instructions

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, marshmallow creme and powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in the peppermint oil and crushed candy canes. Place in a bowl and garnish with more crushed candy canes. Serve immediately with cookies, brownies, etc.

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Cookie, Desserts

Big, Fat, Soft Almond Sugar Cookies

December 20, 2012 6 Comments

Tonight’s recipe is courtesy of Pinterest! From the blog, Confections from the Cody Kitchen, these soft almond sugar cookies are some of the best I’ve ever had. I’m talking unbelievably soft, slightly chewy, packed with almond flavor (which I LOVE), don’t require rolling and cutting and don’t even need frosting! Does it get much better than that?! I think not! I never thought I’d find a sugar cookie that wasn’t in some way enhanced with the addition of fluffy, dreamy buttercream but these cookies simply don’t need it. Now you could always skip the step of rolling them in sugar and go ahead and make frosting but I’m just telling ya right now, save yourself the trouble. You’ve got better things to do.

I did of course make a few minor changes to the original recipe (which is reflected in the recipe I’ve posted). I can’t help myself. I thought the almond flavor wasn’t quite cutting it so I added a LOT more to my batter, but you do what suits you. They’ll be fabulous no matter what.

P.S. If you still feel you need that frosting (I can’t blame you), try these amazing Sugar Cookie Bars or these Thick Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (in a different shape, of course). Two of my faves.

Enjoy!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Big, Fat, Soft Almond Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

1½ c. Sugar
1½ sticks Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
⅔ c. Shortening
2 Large Eggs, at room temperature
3 T. Pure Almond Extract
2¾ c. Cake Flour
1 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 T. Cornstarch
2 t. Baking Powder
½ t. Salt
Coarse Sanding Sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together sugar, butter and shortening until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs and almond extract and mix just until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and beat on medium speed just until flour is incorporated. Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap, wrap tightly, place in an air-tight container and refrigerate for one hour or overnight (which is what I did).
Roll dough into 2" balls, about the size of a golf ball and roll in sanding sugar. Place on baking sheets about two inches apart and bake for 12 minutes, rotating pans and switching racks halfway through. Let cool on pans for two minutes and then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store in an air-tight container.

Notes

Makes 35 cookies.

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Candy, Desserts, Recipes

Fantasy Fudge

December 19, 2012 No Comments

The other day I tried store bought fudge for the first time ever (at least that I can remember). I literally spit it out. I could hardly believe how gross it was. It was just chocolate fudge but it almost tasted like fake chocolate and was so grainy. Oh my gosh, disgusting. I honestly wondered how do you make something that tastes so bad? I mean, you’d almost have to do it on purpose. And then do you say to yourself, “Wow, this is so gross! Let’s sell it!”?!! Mind boggling. At least to me. So please do me a favor and DO NOT buy store-bought fudge this Christmas. It is not difficult to make at home and homemade it so, so, SO much better. I beg of you, make it yourself!!!!

Ok, now that my impassioned plea has been made I’m going to share the absolute best fudge recipe out there—my mom’s! She makes this fudge every year for Christmas and trust me when I say it is THE BEST there is. Super creamy, melt in your mouth chocolate goodness. Of course my favorite way to eat it is to freeze a bunch of it and when a chocolate craving strikes, I dig a piece out and enjoy it cold. Soooooo good. I know there are a lot of fudge recipes out there, but go with this one! It is tried and true and won’t let you down!

Enjoy!

Fantasy Fudge

Ingredients

3 c. Sugar
¾ c. Butter
⅔ c. Evaporated Milk
1, 12-oz. pkg. Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
1, 7-oz. Jar Kraft Marshmallow Creme
1 c. Nuts, chopped (I love English Walnuts)
1 t. Pure Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Combine sugar, margarine and milk in heavy 2-1/2 quart saucepan; bring to full rolling bail, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring. Remove from heat, stir in chocolate till melted. Add marshmallow creme, nuts & vanilla; beat until blended. Pour into greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Let cool and cut into 1-inch squares.

Notes

Makes 64, 1-inch pieces.

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Cupcakes, Desserts, Recipes

Dark Chocolate and Candy Cane Cheescake Cupcakes

December 18, 2012 1 Comment

Hey guys. Ok, second recipe this week…Dark Chocolate & Candy Cane Cheesecake Cupcakes. Yes, you read that right. Cheesecake and cupcakes in one glorious little package. I loooooove cheesecake cakes. My first ever was this Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake a few years ago that I made for Jeremy’s birthday when we were first married. And there have been many since then, including this Chocolate Stout and Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cupcakes and these Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes. But this one is BY FAR my favorite.

I started this cupcake with a layer of crushed Oreo crust, followed by the delicious candy cane cheesecake layer, a dark chocolate cake layer and topped it off with dreamy peppermint frosting and candy cane bark. OMG, to die for. My only little issue with this cupcake was the Oreo crust wanted to stick to the wrappers a little but I think that could be avoided with high-quality wrappers. Mine were pretty cheap. Also, if you do candy cane bark, be sure to add it the day you plan on serving these. Otherwise, the moisture from the frosting will cause the little peppermint pieces to bleed onto your cupcake. Which doesn’t make it taste bad, but I’m not so sure you want your cupcakes to look like they’re bleeding. But hey, whatever!

I hope you love these as much as I do! They are definitely going into my regular holiday baking rotation.

Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate and Candy Cane Cheescake Cupcakes

Ingredients

Oreo Crust

2 c. Oreo Crumbs
1 Stick Unsalted Butter

Candy Cane Cheesecake

8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
½ c. Sugar
1 Large Egg
¼ t. Pure Peppermint Oil
½ c. Crushed Candy Canes

Dark Chocolate Cake

1½ c. All-Purpose Flour
1⅓ c. Sugar
½ c. Dark Cocoa Powder
1¼ t. Baking Powder
1¼ t. Baking Soda
1 t. Salt
¼ c., plus 1 T. Vegetable Oil
⅔ c. Whole Milk
½ c., plus 1 T. Strong-Brewed Coffee
2 Large Eggs, at room temperature and lightly beaten
1 T. Pure Vanilla Extract

Peppermint Frosting

1 Stick Unsalted Butter, softened
½ c. Shortening
4 c. Powdered Sugar
½ c. Heavy Whipping Cream
½ t. Pure Vanilla Extract
2 t. Pure Peppermint Oil

Candy Cane Bark

½ lb. White Chocolate Candy Coating
½ c. Crushed Candy Canes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake tins with cupcake wrappers.

For the Oreo Crust

Mix melted butter and Oreos together in a medium bowl. Press 1 tablespoon of mixture into each cupcake tin.

For the Candy Cane Cheesecake

Beat cream cheese and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in egg and peppermint oil. Stir in crushed candy canes. Fill each cupcake tin with 1 scant tablespoon of cheesecake.

For the Dark Chocolate Cake

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl and beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Spoon 2 tablespoon cake batter into each cupcake tin*.
Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes. Cool completely in tins on wire racks. Frost with peppermint frosting and top with candy cane bark.

For the Peppermint Frosting

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and shortening until fluffy. Gradually beat in 2 cups of the powdered sugar and then ¼ cup of the heavy whipping cream. Beat in the remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar and ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream. Beat in the vanilla and peppermint oil.

For the Candy Cane Bark

Melt white chocolate in microwave at 20-second intervals, stirring between each. Spread onto a medium baking sheet lined with foil. Cover with crushed candy canes. Put in freezer for 1-2 minutes until bark has hardened completely.

Notes

Makes 24 cheesecake cupcakes. *I had enough chocolate cake batter to make 6 plain chocolate cupcakes. *Some of my cupcakes sunk in the middle, which sometimes happens with cheesecake. They still turned out fine. Just FYI.

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Candy, Desserts, Recipes

Chunky Cherry, Oreo & Brownie Bark

December 17, 2012 No Comments

Hey friends! I have good news. I had so many recipes that I wanted to share with you before Christmas that I absolutely couldn’t decide which ones to do and made the decision to do them all! Yes, ALL. Woo hoo! So, one recipe every day this week. I’m going to start with a super easy one today for this crazy good Chunk Cherry, Oreo & Brownie Bark. This is inspired by a certain frozen custard creation that my husband likes to get at out local custard joint, Andy’s. The combination of cherry, oreo and brownie in cool, creamy custard has become one of my favorites and I wanted to find a way to put it into candy form–hence, this bark! I was pleased with how it turned out although I think I’d do a few more cherries next time, but that’s just my preference. It would be great for any holiday party if you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to spend hours in the kitchen and it’s definitely perfect for gift giving. Just put it in a festive cellophane bag and voila! Perfect foodie gift.

Enjoy!

Chunky Cherry Oreo & Brownie Bark

Ingredients

2.5 lbs. Dark Chocolate Candy Coating (such as Ghirardelli or Wilton)
¾ lb. White Chocolate Candy Coating (such as Ghirardelli or Wilton)
1, 9x9 pan of Brownies (I used Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix and added a teaspoon of vanilla), cut into 1" sqaures
5 c. Oreos (20 cookies), roughly crushed
1 c. Dried Cherries

Instructions

Melt both the dark and white chocolate candy coating (in separate bowls) in the microwave at 20-second intervals, stirring between each. Line your kitchen counter with a large piece of foil. In a large bowl, place the brownie chunks and gently stir in the melted dark chocolate candy coating. Be very careful to not break up the chunks of brownie as you stir. Quickly spread the brownies and chocolate onto the foil and immediately top with the crushed brownies and gently press them into the brownie/chocolate layer. Immediately drizzle with the melted white chocolate candy coating and sprinkle with the dried cherries. Let cool completely until chocolate is hard. Cut into pieces with a sharp knife and store in an air-tight container.

Notes

Makes about 3 lbs of candy.

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Candy, Desserts, Recipes

Crispy Nutella Candy

December 13, 2012 1 Comment

I know, I know. Nutella has been SO done. But believe it or not, I haven’t done many Nutella recipes on this blog. As a matter of fact, I think the only one I have so far is for these Dark Chocolate Nutella Raspberry Cupcakes. But there is a reason people love their Nutella recipes so much and it’s because, well, the stuff is DANG good. I mean really, all you need is a spoon and the jar and you’re pretty much set. But mix in into your favorite cookie, brownie or in this case Christmas candy, and you’ve got near dessert perfection.

This is another recipe from my baker-extraordinairre friend, Judy. I will never forget the first Christmas party at my first “real job” after I got out of college. She brought these, along with a few other goodies (which I can all recall distinctly and do in fact have the recipes for), and I immediately fell in love. The original recipe calls for peanut butter so I decided this time to switch things up and use Nutella. And ummm, holy cow, mother of mercy. Good. These are good. Kind of amazing. As I was shoving the mixture into my mouth…I mean, delicately taste testing a totally finished and dipped candy, I kept thinking they reminded me of a candy bar but I couldn’t figure out which one. And then it hit me–Ferrero Rocher! YUM.

These babies are seriously the easiest candy I have yet to make this holiday season. It’s all done in one bowl and you don’t even have to use your stove. Love it.

Enjoy!

Crispy Nutella Candy

Ingredients

1 c. Dry Milk
1 c. Quick Oats
1 c. Rice Krispie Cereal
1 c., plus 2 T. Nutella
½ c. Honey (try to use a honey that is mild in flavor, otherwise it will overwhelm the Nutella a bit)
1 t. Pure Vanilla Extract
1 lb. Dark Chocolate Candy Coating Discs (Wilton or Ghirardelli brand is best)
White Chocolate Candy Coating for drizzle (optional)

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix dry milk, oats, cereal, nutella, honey and vanilla. It will be a very thick mixture. Form into 1½" balls and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while you melt the dark chocolate candy coating. Dip each ball in the dark chocolate candy coating and let dry completely. Decorate with white chocolate, white/red non-pareils or other decor.

Notes

Makes 40, 1½" balls.

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Drinks, Product Reviews

Eggnog vs. Eggnog

December 12, 2012 No Comments

Little fact about me: I LOVE eggnog. Love it. Usually can’t keep it in my house because I will drink it…and by “it” I mean half a gallon in one sitting. Luckily, my husband also loves eggnog. I honestly don’t know what I’d do if he was an eggnog hater. You know, one of those people that have no taste for the finer things in life–such as eggnog. Ok, ok, I’m being a little melodramatic about the haters…ya’ll aren’t that bad. And you have to have good taste because you’re on this blog! But I really have to question your disdain for the sweet, creamy, delicately spiced liquid wonderfulness (umm, yeah, that’s totally a word) that is eggonog. I’ve thought about what could make someone hate this delicious holiday drink and I can only come to one conclusion: the name. Think about it. Eggnog. EGGnog?? How appetizing does that sound, really? Not much. But it says little about the yumminess of this drink. I’m fairly certain if someone tried rebranding it and naming it something along the lines of “Heavenly Melted Ice Cream Nirvana” or something, it would sell like never before. Because that’s honestly what it tastes like!! At least to me. And that is why I love it so. I can only hope that more people will come to love it as I do.

Anyway.

I did a little taste test. This is totally unofficial. I’m no expert. I just love eggnog. And doing a taste-test in the name of “research” for this blog, was a totally valid excuse to buy way more eggnog than I need in one lifetime, let alone the same day. Man I have a hard job!

So I tried four different kinds. It would have been five, but my absolute favorite brand, So Delicious Coconut Milk Eggnog, sold at our local health food store, hadn’t hit the shelves yet. That stuff is creamy, thick, has a very slight hint of coconut and is dairy-free, which is what we do in our house (with the exception of this little experiment…obviously). It’s amazing. Anyway, I chose Hiland which is the brand both Jeremy and I grew up on, Silk Soymilk Nog they sell at Wal-Mart, Organic Valley from our local health food store and Anderson Erickson from Hy-Vee, which is a brand I’d never heard of until my friend Joel mentioned it.

I’ll try not to bore you with all the delicious details and be as succinct as possible. Let’s start with the least favorite, Silk Soymilk Nog.

Silk Soymilk Nog: I actually bought this before I’d purchased any of the others and had been drinking it for awhile thinking it was a suitable substitute. That was until I put it in this taste test. Against the others it had a watery/skim milk consistency and a very noticeable nutty/soy undertones. It will do if you’re dairy-free and need a fix but against the others, it was a big loser.

Anderson Erickson: This was number three (sorry Joel), which doesn’t mean it was bad it just had to go somewhere in the ranking. It was VERY SWEET, had no nutmeg fragrance and you couldn’t even really taste the spices, which I happen to love. It was very thick and creamy and almost had a caramel taste to it. Jeremy and I decided that it did, in fact, taste like melted ice cream! Good, but too sweet for us.

Organic Valley: This stuff was very good and not as thick and heavy as the others. It had a more “pure” taste to it and you could smell and taste the spices. I thought the flavors and sweetness were balanced nicely. We both really liked this one.

Hiland Dairy: This was our absolute favorite. It was thick and creamy, not too overly sweet and had the perfect amount of spices/nutmeg. We loved this one. Just as we have loved it for all our lives since we were wee little ones. Which could have something to do with why it ended up being number one! Yay for childhood favorites! (Oh and p.s. Hiland had the least amount of calories, fat AND sugar BY FAR out of the top three! Sweet!)

So, that’s my unprofessional, totally non-expert take on those four eggnogs. And I’m dying to know…what is your favorite brand??? Do you even like eggnog? Don’t worry, I won’t judge you if you don’t, promise. 😉

Desserts, Sauces

Eggnog Caramel Sauce

December 11, 2012 No Comments

The other day I was making caramels. Well, I thought I was making caramels. I have this recipe for amazing, chewy caramels that I’ve made for years and decided to try and switch things up and make them EGGNOG caramels. As the buttery, sugary mixture boiled and did its thing, I thought to myself, “Yeah…these are going to be awesome.” The scent of eggnog and caramelized sugar smelled divine and I could not wait to sink my teeth into one of these babies.

Imagine my shock the next day when I went to check on the caramels and ummm, they weren’t quite as firm as they should be. As a matter of fact, the weren’t firm AT ALL. Bummer. But then I had a thought! Eggnog Caramel Sauce?! Heck yes! What I thought was a disaster actually turned out to be the most wonderful, delicious thing ever! We warmed our sauce in the microwave for about 10 seconds and drizzled it over vanilla ice cream and our taste buds were immediately transported to total nirvana. To be honest, I rarely have mistakes that actually turn out for the better and this was totally an exception. The flavors of caramel and eggnog in this sauce are just incredible. Perfect for gift giving. Or just keep it all to yourself. Like we’re doing. Hah.

Enjoy!

P.S. This sauce would pretty much be AMAZING over this Gingerbread Loaf Cake. Trust me on this one.

Eggnog Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

1 c. Sugar
1 c. Salted Butter
½ c. Dark Corn Syrup
½ c. Lyle's Golden Syrup (or Light Corn Syrup)
2 c. Eggnog
1 t. Pure Vanilla Extract
¼ t. Nutmeg

Instructions

Bring sugar, butter, dark corn syrup and light corn syrup to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes without stirring. Stir in eggnog, turn heat to medium and bring to boil. Cook, stirring constantly, 10 minutes or until a candy thermometer reaches 245 degrees. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and nutmeg and pour into a bowl to cool. Once cooled, pour into jars and store in the refrigerator.

Notes

Makes 3 cups of caramel sauce or 3, half-pint jars.

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Cake, Desserts, Recipes

Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake

December 4, 2012 1 Comment

Hey friends. I’ve got a cake recipe for you today. Not just any cake recipe. Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake. This cake…oh my goodness, where do I start? I am such a sucker for layer cakes. Especially ones with homemade orange marmalade in between the layers. Such as this one.

Luckily, my friend Shawna, who happens to have this fantastic gourmet cooking club that I’m a part of, is also a lover of layer cakes. And we happened to have cooking club this past weekend. So when I saw this cake from Southern Living show up in my email a couple of weeks ago, I immediately knew what I’d be taking. And I won’t lie, on our way to cooking club I was having my doubts and second guessing my choice of cake. I kind of started thinking maybe I should have done something with chocolate and peppermint (one of my all time favorite combos) or something a little more holiday-ish. But my doubts were all put to rest after cutting into this baby. Everyone loved it! I have to admit, this is a GOOD cake. The yellow cake is so moist and delicious with coconut mixed in and the orange marmalade and pecan cream cheese frosting just make the whole thing an amazing combination of flavors and textures.

A couple of notes about the cake. You’ll want to make it in stages since it has a few components. It’s nothing complicated, just plan ahead. I made the cake layers one day and froze them. One trick I learned for cake is that after it has baked, let it cool off for about 5 minutes, wrap it tightly in a couple of layers of foil and then put it in the freezer. It traps the moisture and makes the cake SUPER moist and it only takes a couple of hours on the kitchen counter for it to defrost. Next day I made the orange marmalade and then a couple days later I made the glazed pecans and frosting and put the whole thing together.

All in all, this was an absolutely divine cake. Perfect for holiday parties and festivities. Everyone will rave!

Enjoy!

Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake

Ingredients

Cake

½ c. Unsalted Butter, softened
½ c. Shortening
2 c. Sugar
5 Large Eggs, separated
1 T. Pure Vanilla Extract
2 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 t. Baking Soda
½ t. Salt
1 c. Whole Milk (or buttermilk)
1 c. Sweetened Flaked Coconut
2 T. Grated Orange Rind

Orange Marmalade

1 c. Sugar
¼ c. Cornstarch
2 c. Fresh Orange Juice (I used 10 large oranges to get two cups of juice)
3 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
¼ c. Unsalted Butter
2 T. Granted Orange Rind

Glazed Pecans

1½ c. Pecan Halves
⅓ c. Light Corn Syrup (I used Lyle's Golden Syrup)

Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting

1 c. Pecans, toasted and choppped
½ c. Unsalted Butter, softened
8 oz. Cream Cheese, cold
¼ c. Shortening
¼ t. Salt
2 T. Pure Vanilla Extract
4 c. Powdered Sugar

Garnish

⅓ c. Flaked Sweetened Coconut, toasted

Instructions

For the Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2, 9-inch round pans and line with parchment paper.
Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until blended.
Whisk together flour, soda and salt. Add to sugar mixture alternately with milk, begginging and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in one cup flaked coconut and grated orange rind.
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Divide batter evenly between the two pans.
Bake for 25-28 minutes until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks or remove from pans, wrap in foil and store in the freezer until ready to use.

For the Orange Marmalade

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a 3-quart saucepan; gradully whisk in fresh orange juice. Whisk in lightly beaten eggs. Bring to a boil (5 to 6 minutes) over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture reaches a pudding-like thickness. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and grated orange rind. If the mixture ends up with pieces of cook egged in it (mine did) simply push it through a very fine mesh sieve with the back of a large spoon in to a bowl. Cover, placing plastic wrap directly on curd and chill for at least 8 hours or until ready to use.

For the Glazed Pecans

Combine pecan halves and corn syrup, stirring to coat pecans. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange pecan halves in an even layer in pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Stir using a rubber spatula and bake 3 minutes more. Remove from oven and arrange in an even layer on another piece of foil and let cool completely.

For the Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Butter, shortening and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in salt and vanilla. Gradually beat in powdered sugar on low speed until creamy and well blended. Stir in pecans.

To Assemble

Split cake layer in half horizontally. Place a layer on a plate or cake stand and spread with a thin layer of frosting and then marmalade. Top with a cake layer. Spread with another thin layer of frosting and marmalade. Top with third cake layer and spread again with frosting and marmalade. Top with final cake layer and frost sides and top of cake with the remaining pecan cream cheese frosting. Garnish with glazed pecans and toasted coconut. Serve with remaining orange marmalade.

Notes

Serves 18.

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Bars, Desserts, Healthy, Recipes

Dark Chocolate Chunk Toffee Bars

November 30, 2012 No Comments

As mentioned in my post yesterday, I have a great healthy recipe to share with you guys this morning! I was REALLY needing a healthy sweet treat for our house and this recipe from Oh She Glows seemed perfect. I did make a few changes just because I didn’t have the exact things she used but they still turned out perfect, in my opinion. They do indeed taste a little toffee-like although I think I’d omit the cinnamon next time to let the toffee flavor come through more. These are totally wholesome, whole-grain, low-sugar (NOT refined sugar) and like a chewy granola bar. I definitely thought they were better after they had sat overnight, so give them a little time to come to their full potential! Hope you like them as much as we do!

Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Chunk Toffee Bars

Ingredients

2 c. Thick Cut Oats
¼ c. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
2 T. Chia Seeds
1 t. Ground Cinnamon (or omit completely)
½ t. Sea Salt (I use pink Himalayan)
1 c. Almonds, chopped and toasted
½ c. Agave
2 T. Butter (I used whipped organic)
¼ c. Sucanat
⅓ c. Almond Butter (I use homemade so the only ingredient is almonds)
2 t. Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Large Egg, lightly beaten
3 T. Dark Chocolate Chunks or Chips (I prefer Ghirardelli 60% Bittersweet)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, stir together oats, flour, chia seeds, cinnamon, salt and almonds.
In a medium bowl, stir together the agave, butter, sucanat, almond butter and vanilla, Microwave on high for 45 seconds and stir until smooth.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture. Add the egg and stir until everything is combined. Scoop into the pan and spread out the mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack and cut into squares.

Notes

Makes 16 squares.

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Desserts, Healthy, Recipes

Healthy Sweet Treats

November 29, 2012 No Comments

As of right now, I’m in recovery stage from Thanksgiving eatings. Is anybody else with me? Lots of fruits, veggies, lean meat and trying desperately to stay away from sweets…at least for the moment. But doesn’t it just seem like you are inundated from Thanksgiving to Christmas (ok, more like Easter) with candy and sweet stuff EVERYWHERE?! At the office, church, cookie exchanges, holiday parties, special holiday treats from local bakeries and ice cream shops…I mean, you’ve only got one month to stuff your face with all these limited time, seasonal treats!!!! No wonder people gain on average 10 pounds from November to December. Sheesh.

I’ve found the best defense is to have a plan of action! I think ahead about what I REALLY want to indulge in and what I can live without. It seems that we think since something is laying out on the kitchen table in the breakroom at work, we might as well eat it, even if it’s really not that good. Save your calories for the things that are AMAZING, not just o.k. I also like to keep fruits and healthy baked treats on hand at our house. That way we already have something to grab in case the sweet tooth kicks in or we want to go out and get that limited-time dark chocolate candy cane shake. Tomorrow morning I’m going to share a recipe for healthy Dark Chocolate Chunk Toffee Bars but for now I thought I’d share some of my favorite healthy treats I’ve done over the past few months. These are all great options and totally delicious.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Quinoa Trail Mix Bars

Grain-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Java Mocha Protein Balls

Lightened Up Gluten-Free Brownies

No-Bake Almond Butter Rice Crisp Treats

No-Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites

Strawberry Almond Butter Soup

Whole Grain Strawberry Newtons

Candy, Desserts, Recipes

Candy Cane Mocha Fudge Truffles

November 27, 2012 5 Comments

Ah, Christmas candy, my favorite kind of Christmas indulgence. I LOVE homemade Christmas candy. Luckily I am surrounded by family that knows a thing or two about making it. My mom makes homemade fudge like no one else, my grandparent’s peanut brittle is THE BEST and my aunt Theresa makes divinity that is out of this world. I guess you could say that candy making runs in my blood! Hence my love for homemade marshmallows, chocolate covered cherries, toffee, truffles…so many divine options.

For Thanksgiving I had FOUR different kinds of truffles that I wanted to make but between making three different pies, cherry cheesecake and brownies, plus a myriad of non-dessert food, I only got around to making one. Sigh. Just not enough hours for all the baking and cooking. But it’s ok because the truffles were scrumptious! They’re a combination of coffee, peppermint and dark chocolate. It’s all mixed up with a touch of cream cheese which makes the center of the truffle almost cheesecake-like! So good.

Oh and yes, I WILL be making those other truffles and sharing the recipes, don’t you worry.

Enjoy!

Candy Cane Mocha Fudge Truffles

Ingredients

1 c. Bittersweet or Dark Chocolate Chips (I prefer the Ghirardelli 60% Bittersweet)
½ c. Heavy Whipping Cream
3 T. Instant Coffee
4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1 lb. Dark Chocolate Candy Coating
4 Candy Canes, crushed

Instructions

Place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the cream just until it begins to boil. Quickly stir in the instant coffee until it has dissolved and pour over the chocolate chips. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Let cool until it is barely warm. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and slowly beat in the chocolate ganache mixture. Place mixture in the refrigerator until stiff, about one hour.
With a melon baller or small spoon, scoop out 1½" mounds onto a foil lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate candy coating in the microwave at 20 second intervals, stirring between each, until completely smooth. Using the palm of your hands, shape the truffle mounds into balls and dip in the melted candy coating. Top immediately with crushed candy canes. Serve immediately or store in a single layer in an air-tight container.

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Bars, Cookie, Desserts

Holiday Cookies

November 25, 2012 No Comments

Last year I went to my first ever Christmas cookie exchange and it was so, so fun! In case you have never been to one, you make enough of a cookie or candy so that everyone gets one of everything (plus the recipe). You swap sweets, snack on holiday goodies and leave with enough sugar to give you heart palpitations for days. Good times. And totally worth the sugar overload.

I loved trying everyone’s homemade creations and am so looking forward to doing the exchange again this year. I’ve already started researching recipes and found so many that I want to try. If you have a cookie exchange you’re going to, take a second and browse these scrumptious cookie and bar recipes!

Honey Walnut Bar