Rebecca's Sweet Escapes

Yummy Mummy!

2011-10-29T18:19:00.009-06:00

So it has been a crazy week! So you know that I have been baking to counteract the insanity! Here is a easy and fun cake for Halloween. It is a edible Mummy with a surprise for the kids inside topped in cream cheese frosting.

I made two different cakes to give this cake some height. One is vanilla and the other a yellow cake then I tinted them green and purple for Halloween. Here they are layered with cream cheese frosting.

Once you have a very base coat of frosting on your cake decide what side is the front and add a small patch of black and your eyes out of frosting. Once the eyes are in place you can add the "gauze" wrappings. I used this tip by Wilton. One side is smooth the other has ridges. I used the ridge side out to create the mummies wrappings.

Here is a slice of the inside with the fun purple and green stripes. My kids loved making and eating this one with me!! Happy Halloween!

Owl Cupcakes

2011-10-08T16:24:00.004-06:00

I made these today for my Sisters Baby shower. She loves owls and I thought it would be a fun thing to give guests as they went home. It also would be a fun thing to make this month for Halloween, so because I am nice I thought I would share with you!! I have to admit I saw these in a magazine and ripped the page out so I don't know which, but they are super easy and super cute. Give them a try!

Basically for this cupcake start by baking your favorite cupcake recipe or mix. For the eyes buy double stuff Oreos and using a spatula cut through the cookies so all the frosting is on one side ( I needed more than one package for 24 cupcakes). I saved the other half of the Oreos for a cookie crust, but you can just dunk them in some milk too. Frost your cupcakes normally and stick on two Oreo halves. Next stick on two junior mints with frosting to complete your eyes. Use a banana runt for the nose and complete with a few swooshes of frosting above and below the eyes. I used a star tip for this part so it would have a textured look. They are soooo cute, and tasty too!

Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Cake

2011-09-22T18:13:00.011-06:00

So this recipe is dedicated to my fantastic cousin Emily. Pardon the pun, but this cake recipe has been baking in my head for a long time. I had all the ingredients including the Nutella sitting in my cupboard, but I was waiting for a time that I really could work out the frosting. This is where my cousin enters the scene. She face booked me that she tried a new Nutella recipe and that I should check it out. It was like she read my mine. We must have some kind of baker/cousin telepathic thing going on. Long story short, I gave it a go, with this cake from my head and tastiness was born!!! We are talking a Devils Food cake with a caramel filling frosted in Nutella frosting and wrapped in chocolate Hazelnut cookies. What's not to like? Ok, maybe that whole sharing part. Just remember that sharing was what created this beauty in the first place. So here is a cake for you my sweet cousin Em who inspires me not only in the kitchen but in all aspects of life. Love ya girl!!

Here is the caramel filling. I had to slap that second layer on quick before my husband saw all of its caramel glory otherwise I would have never finished in. Be sure when you put that caramel in to build a nice wall of frosting around the edge to hold it all in. Mmmm caramel.

So here is the cake hiding all the caramel to surprise you when you least expect it. Give the outside a nice coat of your Nutella frosting and start sticking on your chocolate hazelnut cookies. I did cut them to the appropriate height.

Here we are all edges in cookies. Notice on the bottom that I made sure they were stuck in some frosting this secures them so they don't fall of the cake. Then add a small border to lock them in!!

I just used a big star tip to make a basic boarder and then did the swirls on top. It gave it a really pretty finish.

Then you dig in for all that happy chocolate, hazelnut, caramel goodness. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Cake

1 Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake mix

Bake in two nine inch rounds according to the directions and cool.

Caramel Filling- Melt two bags Werthers Original chewy caramels with 4 Tbs. evaporated milk. Cool and set aside.

Nutella Frosting
2 Sticks Butter room Temperature
2 Cups Nutella (I admit I upped this a bit because I like Nutella a lot)
5 Cups Powdered Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla
Pinch of Salt

Heavy Cream (This is what makes it silky smooth and fabulous!!)

Combine all together in a mixer and add heavy cream until a creamy smooth and spreadable consistency. Spread on the cake before you eat too much!!

Back to School Cupcakes

2011-08-23T12:22:00.003-06:00

I made these yesterday for my kids first day of school. The chalk board is a chocolate covered graham cracker, the apple is a red hot candy and the chalk is a ti tac. Who knew school could be this sweet right!!

Rosette Cake

2011-08-16T13:18:00.003-06:00

So this is a technique I learned from the I am baker website (listed below). She did this on a round cake like the one below. I loved it so much I topped a sheet cake with it and loved how it turned out. This is a simple way to dress up a sheet cake and it perfect for any occasion. All you do it put your frosting in a pastry bag that is fitted with a really large star tip. Make rosettes all over the cake close together and then fill in any empty spots with a swoosh of frosting and you are done!! Happy Frosting!!http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/

Here is how is looks on a round cake and sprayed with edible food spray. It make it look like fresh cut roses!!

Here is a view from the top down, I love the pattern and texture to it!

Strawberry Lemonade Bars

2011-08-05T14:48:00.002-06:00

So I made these recently and they were very tasty. The strawberry added a nice sweet factor to go along with the tart lemon flavor. They are light, refreshing, simple and delicious. I found this recipe at allrecipes.com

Strawberry Lemonade Bars
Crust
2 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Cup Butter Softened
Combine until it resembles a crumbly pie dough and press into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until just golden.
Filling
8 Eggs
2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup lemon juice
2 TBS. Lemon Zest
2 Small Pkg Strawberry Jello
Combine and pour over baked crust. Bake for another 20 minutes or until set. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar when cool and serve.

Welcome to the dark side!

2011-07-27T19:17:00.004-06:00

Check out my new shirt. I bought it at Kohls in the mens section and when I read it I laughed really hard. I guess I will always be on the dark side, how about you?

Fresh Raspberry Frosting

2011-07-17T13:32:00.005-06:00

I have so so happy that my raspberries have finally been ready to pick. The kids love to search for them in the bushes and gather big bowls full. This recipe is so simple, but flavorful and fresh that it will impress anyone who gets a taste. It is also really versatile. Above I put it on a chocolate bunt cake. It is also awesome on a lemon cake as seen below. Add it to your favorite cake and enjoy!!

Here is my frosting just as I have thrown in the berries. I love the swirls of flavor and color coming out!!

Here we are one it is all mixed in. I love the natural color it makes, so bright and fresh!

Here it is on top of a lemon cake. I just poured big spoonfuls around the top of the cake and let it drizzle down the edges. Then I topped it off with some whole raspberries so those eating it would know what flavor is was. Mmmmmm raspberries!!

Fresh Raspberry Frosting
1/2 Cube Butter melted
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Cup Raspberries
Powdered Sugar
Milk

Combine the melted butter and vanilla then start to mix in your powdered sugar. The reason I didn't put an amount is because it depends on how juicy your raspberries are. Add about 2 cups powdered sugar and mix together. Once combined throw in you raspberries and start stirring to break them up. Now add powdered sugar or milk to get the quantity and consistency you would like. If you want to drizzle it over a bunt cake it should be a thinner consistency. Because the juice will continue to come out of the raspberries frost your cake right before serving.

Smore Brownies

2011-06-23T13:56:00.012-06:00

So I think it is kind of obvious that I like things that are sweet. I do have a few favorites though, and smores is definitely one of them. I love eating them in the summer with a nice fire going, but I also enjoy them from the microwave or roasted over my stove. I also think that you can't just have one. I think six is about right. Anyway, thus the inspiration for my latest creation. I must say I have had lots of smore cookies, but can't get over the fact that the marshmallow turns into one big glob or gets all crunchy. This is not the case with these. You get a graham cracker crunch, dense moist brownie covered in melted chocolate and a soft and creamy marshmallow. Hee hee! Sorry, I will try to calm down. In the mean time give these a try and watch them disapear at your next barbeque!!

Start off with your graham cracker crust. I didn't count how many crackers made a 1 1/2 cups crumbs, but it looks like somewhere around 18. My kids had a great time crushing these while I got the other ingredients ready. This gets pressed into a double tinfoil lined 9x13 pan and baked for a while while you get the rest mixed together.

Here we are after the crust is baked. Just pour 2/3rds of your brownie batter in and spread evenly.

Now here is the trick for your marshmallow to keep is creamy and nice. Mix a small jar or marshmallow creme with a small can sweetened condensed milk.

Then spoon it all over your brownie batter.

Once you have your marshmallow on spoon on the extra batter. The more you cover the marshmallow the more creamy goodness you will have. I left some out because I wanted creamy with a bit of toasted marshmallow too. I topped it all off with three Hershey bars and baked.

Here is the finished product. Lining the pan with foil makes them a lot easier to cut.

Smore Brownies
(Crust from food network and marshmallow creme from Our Best Bites)

Crust
6 Tb butter melted
1 1/2 -2 Cup Graham Crackers crushed
2 Tb Sugar
Pinch of Salt

Press into a 9x13 greased pan and bake for 10-15 minutes at 325 degrees.

Brownie Batter
2 Cubes Margarine melted
10 Tb. Cocoa
2 Cups Sugar
4 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Flour
Dash of Salt
Spread about two thirds of the batter onto the cooked crust then top with your marshmallow mixture.

Marshmallow mixture
1 small can marshmallow cream
1 small can sweetened condensed milk
Drop the rest of the brownie batter by spoonfuls on top of the marshmallow and spread around. Top with three Hershey bars broken into their small pieces and return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes or until the brownie is cooked through.

Flower Fairy Cake

2011-06-12T15:12:00.003-06:00

So here is a cake I actually made for my daughter this last week. She wanted a surprise so I made her as a fairy on top of the cake. She loved it.

Here is the fairy up close. One fun trick to this cake was that I had no time to make fondant or modeling chocolate so the fairy and flowers were all made from melted starbursts candy and laffy taffy's! Try that on your next cake!!

Caramel Cashew Bars

2011-06-05T16:43:00.006-06:00

So I have always had this thing for caramel. In fact I worked at a pie shop as a teenager where we served apple pie with caramel sauce and I would buy cups of caramel and just eat it with a spoon. No joke. It was homemade and awesome. Well throw some cashews in caramel and it can only make it better. I recently had a caramel cashew cookie from a bakery and thought "I could make that!" So I did. This one is simple and delish. Give it a try for one of those summer BBQ's.

Here is my happy caramel bubbling away. Mmmmm. Way too hot Rebecca you have to wait!

Here they are just before they went in the oven layers of butter cookie caramel and cashews woo hoo!

Caramel Cashew Bars
Crust:
4 1/2 Cups Flour
1 C Powdered Sugar
2 Cups butter softened

Mix and press into a greased cookie sheet. Bake alone for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Caramel:
2 Cups Brown Sugar
2 Sticks Margarine
1 3/4 Cup Light Corn Syrup

Bring these to a boil and stir boiling for three minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 can sweetened condensed milk. Boil for an additional 3 minutes.

Remove crust from oven and cover with 5 cups roasted cashews. (Chop them if you like. I liked the look of whole ones.) Then pour on the caramel. Bake for an addition 12 minutes. Caramel will be bubbly all over the cookies. Remove, cool and enjoy. I put melted chocolate on half and loved that too.

* I made these in a cookie sheet because I can never have too many cookies. Feel free to half the recipe and bake it in a 9x13 pan.

Homemade German Chocolate Cake Frosting

2011-05-17T13:55:00.002-06:00

So my hubby had a b-day recently and when I asked him what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday he without hesitation replied "German chocolate" and quickly added "with your homemade coconut pecan frosting!!" Lets just say he didn't have to twist my arm. This creamy caramel coconut pecan frosting is so good you could just eat it with a spoon (which I may have done with the leftovers for a few days). Anyway, don't let the sound of this frosting intimidate you. It is a simple, amazingly good and impressive frosting that everyone will love. Give it a try and soak in the rave reviews!!

German Chocolate Cake Frosting (adapted from allrecipes.com)

1 Cup evaporated milk
1 Cup white sugar
3 Egg yolks beaten with 1 tsp. water
1/2 Cup margarine
2 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 Cups chopped pecans (adjust to your taste)
3 cups flaked coconut

In a small saucepan combine evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, margarine, and vanilla. Cook over a medium heat stirring constantly. Once boiling stir until it becomes thick (about the consistency just thinner than pudding). Stir in pecans and coconut and cool. It will thicken ever more as it cools. Then spread on your cake or find yourself a spoon!!!

Candy filled Cake Balls!

2011-05-06T16:41:00.008-06:00

So theater candy was on sale this last week and I felt like I really needed to stock up. Why I am not sure. Sometimes my husband teases me that all of our food storage is crackers, cookies and cake mixes and that we will be trading them for veggies etc if there really was an emergency. It is not totally true, but I will admit we do have plenty of treats stocked away. Any who, when I saw these Junior Mints and Junior Caramels I immediately thought of how fun and tasty they would be in a cake ball. Turns out I was right. If you have never made cake balls they are super easy, so try these with some hidden treats inside and be sure to tell me how it went! Above are your basic line up of ingredients.

So first off you make your cake as directed on the box and let it cool. Once cool you get the fun of breaking it up into a fun pile of crumbs.

After you have your tasty crumbs mix in one container of premade frosting. I used chocolate so the flavors would meld well.

After you mix those two things together you can start to scoop up your cake balls. I used an ice cream scoop so they would all be uniform. Then as you can see here I hid a Junior Mint or Junior Caramel in the middle.

Then just pinch around it and seal in off so that no one knows there is an extra treat hiding inside. Place on a foil lined tray and pop in the freezer for a few hours. Once they are thoroughly chilled melt your candy coating or Wilton melts and rolls the balls until covered. Since they are pretty well frozen they will hold together well and the chocolate will harden quickly.

Once finished keep at room temperature, but who are we kidding these will not last long. Here you can see my happy Junior Mint that was hiding in the middle. Soooooo tasty!!

Strawberry Oreo Trifle

2011-04-27T17:35:00.005-06:00

So here is a twist on my amazing sister in laws oreo trifle. In my Sister in laws version she layered whole chocolate oreos, chocolate pudding, and cool whip over and over. Then you let it sit overnight so that the oreos get all soft and gushy. Hee Hee!! If you want more variation in color you can make varying shades by mixing your pudding and cool whip. So I adapted this recipe recently when I saw the golden oreos on sale. I used golden oreos, vanilla pudding, cool whip and stawberries. It would be tasty with chocolate oreos and strawberries too. You can add all sorts of fun and tasty things and layer them in a trifle bowl or just a glass bowl. Believe me, it will be delicious and it will be gone before anyone elses treats. If not let me know and I will come pick up your extras!!

Oreo Trifle
Whole oreos (pick a flavor, you will need 1 pkg for a small to medium bowl, two for larger)
Cool Whip
Pudding (pick a flavor to match your oreos, small pkg for small to medium bowl, large for larger)
Extras can include but are not limited to fruit, chocolate chips, M&M's, toffee bits, caramel, nuts...

Wildlife Cake!

2011-04-15T08:57:00.009-06:00

This cake was sooooo fun to make. It was for a little boy who loves everything animals. We decided to have the tiers represent the water, earth and sky. I will admit this is the first time I have ever done any hand painting on a cake before, but I think it turned out pretty good. I cut out the animals from fondant and let them dry, then hand painted each and placed them on the side of the fondant covered cake. I like the elephant and the killer whale the best, which do you like?!!

Here is an eagle and a tiger. The eagle was the only sky animal they wanted, it is his favorite.

Here is a not so scary shark and a cute sea turtle.

Here is a dolphin and a giraffe. I loved doing the mane on the giraffe.

Here is a monkey and a alligator, that monkey better watch his tail!!

Here is my cute elephant, I love his wrinkled knees!

Last is my fun killer whale jumping out of the water!!

How to Train your Dragon Cake!!

2011-03-29T14:47:00.006-06:00

So sorry for the lake of posting lately. We were sick for a while and then had a family wedding, but we are back to the day to day stuff now. So here is a cake I just made. The birthday boy wanted it to be like the movie, How to Train your Dragon. If you haven't seen it you must, so cute!! We made the bottom of the cake to be more like the rocky island he lives on and the top like the sky so that they could fly through the air,.

So here is the main character Hiccup and his night fury dragon friend Toothless.

I found these little wire cake accessories at the craft store and thought they would be perfect to hang some flying dragons off the cake. They were a great success!!

Carmelitas!!

2011-02-22T10:10:00.009-07:00

So this is one of those recipes that everyone asks for and you usually keep it a secret to it is your "special thing", but since I like you all I thought I would share. I originally had these on a trip in Park City. My sister in law Jen brought them and I could not stop eating them. It was very quick after that that I got the recipe from her and have been making them ever since. These are my husbands very favorite cookie ever. They have brown sugar, oats, chocolate and caramel what more could you want!! Give them a try and let me know how it went!!

So here is my dough, it is crumbly and you just press it everywhere till it fills the pan.

Here are your ingredients for your caramel. I used to use the clear wrapped ones, but between how hard they were to unwrap and the flavor I replaced them with Werther's soft caramels. My kids love to help unwrap them and the flavor is rich and amazing.

Here they are after a minute in the microwave, don't freak out they will smooth out really soon.

See! One more minute in the microwave and the caramel is ready to go!

Here they are almost all the way put together. Sooo Good!!

Carmelitas

Just FYI this recipe is for a 9x13 pan. I doubled it and made it in a cookie sheet. I always need more than just a 9x13 pan!!

2 Pkg. Werthers soft caramels

3 Tbs. Evaporated milk

2 Cups Flour

2 Cups Quick Oats

1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 1/2 tsp. Salt

1 Cup Melted Butter

1 Pkg. Chocolate Chips

Start by making your caramel. Unwrap all of you caramels and add the evaporated milk. Microwave for a minute, stir and microwave for one more minute. The caramel should be smooth and soft. Set aside. Place all the rest of the dry ingredients but chocolate chip in a large bowl. Pour the melted butter over the top and mix until the butter is combined well and the mixture is crumbly. Spread half of the dough into a 9x13 greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with chocolate chips. Next pour your caramel evenly over the top of the chocolate chips. Finish by sprinkling the rest of the dough on top. Press down slightly then return to the oven for another ten minutes. These are great alone, but if you want to be real bad serve them hot with ice cream. They have the caramel and chocolate built in and they are amazing!!

Heart Tarts!

2011-02-09T12:30:00.008-07:00

So, the day of Love is approaching. It is also crunch time if you don't have anything for that special someone in you life. Well here is something I came up with that is beyond simple, beautiful and delicious. This is a tart in the shape of a heart and you can make them any flavor you like, but believe me when you give one of these they will definately love you!!

So it all starts with pre-made pie dough. Each package has two 8 or 9 inch rounds so you can make two heart tarts. All I did here was grease a cookie sheet, put down my thawed pie dough round. Next I used a knife to cut the bottom into a point and using the excess dough on the top created a heart shape. Be sure to press the dough together so the it is one solid piece.

Next you need your pie filling. You need one can per tart. I used peach in one and cherry in the other. For the cherry I added about a 1/4 tsp of almond extract. For the peaches I sprinkled the top with cinnamon and sugar. You do not need to spread the filling very much. After that I just pulled up the edges all the way around. You get a beautiful rustic look that is also whimsical for Valentines day. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. It is done when the edges are golden and the filling is bubbly. Enjoy!!

Homemade Strawberry Oreos

2011-01-31T12:01:00.005-07:00

Ok, so I found myself recently with a whole bunch of extra cream cheese frosting. I know, quite the dilemma. My first impression was to just eat it with a really big spoon, but then I thought better of myself it being the new year. So I decided to put it to good use in a tasty cookie. You may have made homemade oreos before, but I love to mix it up by using different mixes. I have used lemon, confetti cake and yes strawberry. These were delish, although adding a cookie to the frosting probably didn't help my new years resolution much. Oh well, this is just the perfect color for valentines which will be here fast. Whip up a batch for someone you love!!

Homemade Strawberry Oreos

2 Strawberry Cake Mixes

4 Eggs

1 Cup Shortening

Mix and drop into balls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Cool and slather with some tasty frosting.

Lego Batman Birthday!

2011-01-16T14:11:00.003-07:00

So, it was my special nephew's birthday just recently and he had a special request. I had made cakes for all of his siblings birthdays and it was finally his turn. After much deliberation he decided on an awesome Lego batman cake. All he asked was that it had the Joker and Batman. I added Robin and some Lego's just because I love him. It was fun to make, but even more fun to see his reaction. Happy B-day Spencer!!

Happy 90th Again!

2011-01-16T14:06:00.003-07:00

So, here is a cake I made this weekend for a dear woman who just turned 90 years old!! She is a sweetheart and definitely deserved a sweet cake. They wanted something feminine and simple yet celebratory. I was so honored to make this cake because I had made her husbands 90Th birthday cake about a year and a half ago. The cake was my special lemon filled. What a way to celebrate. Happy Birthday!!

Cinnamon Sour Cream Raisin Bars

2011-01-09T18:34:00.008-07:00

So whatever happened to our friends the raisins? I am so surprised these days that when people order cinnamon rolls they usually don't want any with raisins. I have always liked raisins in baked goods. I think it stems from when I was little and my Mom would buy me a cookie at ZCMI. If she wouldn't let me have an eclair (which she usually didn't because I had a bad habit of squirting filling all over myself) then I would pick a m&m cookie or a raisin filled cookie. They were sweet, and gooey and chewy. All the things that kids love. I obviously have carried that love into adulthood. The sugar cookie version of raisin cookies can be a bit tedious, so I came up with a cookie bar version to make things more simple. I love it if any cookie I like can be made into a bar!! So here is my "healthy" recipe for the new year, and let's hear it for raisins!!

So here are all the components together. The baked crust then the filling and the crumbly top. MMMM.

Spread out the filling and if there is extra you know what to do with it.

Sprinkle on the rest of the crumble, bake and finish off with an icing drizzle.

Cinnamon Raisin Bars

Filling -Place the following ingredients in a small pot.

5-6 Cups Raisins

1 Cup Sugar

3 Eggs

2 1/2 Tbs Cornstarch

1 1/2 Cups Sour Cream

1 tsp. Cinnamon

Cook over low heat until raisins are plumped up, sugar is dissolved and mixture is heated through thoroughly and well blended. Stir well so you don't get scrambled eggs. Set aside while you get your crust together.

Crust

2 Cups Flour

2 Cups Quick Oats

1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 1/2 tsp. Salt

1 Cup Melted Butter

1 tsp. Cinnamon

Press half of the crust mixture into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for about 8 minutes. Remove and spread raisin mixture all over the top, then sprinkle with the rest of the crust crumbles. Bake again for another 8-10 minutes. Cool and drizzle with vanilla frosting.

Snow Ball Cookies!!

2010-12-20T10:29:00.002-07:00

So here is the perfect cookie for Christmas. These are coconut lime butter cookies and they are delish!! I found them on a blog I follow called a www.abountifulkitchen.com . I loved them because they were bright and refreshing. It seems that everything we eat this time of year can be so rich and heavy that it was definitely a nice change. Try them out and Santa will thank you!!

Coconut Lime Snow Balls

2 1/2 Cups Flour
2 tsp Lime zest
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 Sticks Butter cut up
2 tsp Vanilla
2 Tbs. Cream Cheese

Glaze
1 Tbs. Cream Cheese
3 Tbs. Lime Juice
1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 1/2 Cups Coconut

Combine your dough ingredients and roll into small balls. These cookies do not spread so you can bake them close together. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes until the bottom is golden. Remove and cool. Combine glaze ingredients and dip the top of the cookies in the glaze. After dipping immediately dip in coconut.

By the way, I said they tasted light, we need to enjoy our cream cheese and butter before all those crazy new years resolutions start!!

Tangled Cake

2010-12-08T10:31:00.006-07:00

So I did this cake last minute for my Niece and she definitely picked a cute theme. I will admit that I had a cooler looking tower built, but it was too heavy for the top of the cake so I had to improvise a bit but it still turned out really cute. My favorite it that Pascals tongue is the writing for Happy Birthday. I love you my sweet Elise!!

Mr. Pascal

Rapunzel's head popped out of the window.

Flynn doing the "smolder" smile. Pretty silly.

Frosty Frosting!!

2010-12-03T09:34:00.003-07:00

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, but now it is time for Christmas baking!! Here is an idea I came up with this week. I made a new frosting that is versatile, delicious, and perfect for this time of year. It involves mini York peppermint patties, can't get any better than that. It was an experaMINT that turned out beautifully! It is sooo good because you get the creaminess of the frosting, the dense York center, and then a sprinkling of soft chocolate pieces throughout. YUM!

Peppermint Patty Frosting
1 Cube Butter melted
4 Cups (or so) Powdered Sugar
Milk as needed
1 pkg. Mini York Peppermint patties

Pour your melted butter into a bowl and mix in powdered sugar a little at a time. Add little splashes of milk as needed to keep thinning it out while you get all your sugar added. (Tip: really add just a very small amount of milk at a time or you will have enough frosting to frost until next Christmas.) If you need more frosting for whatever you are baking just add more powdered sugar until you get there. Once you have the amount of frosting you want and the consistency right it is time to throw in your peppermint patties. I made my frosting in a mixer so I just threw them in whole and it broke them up for me. If mixing by hand break them up first. Spread on brownies, homemade oreos, cupcakes or just eat it with a spoon!!

My Cup Runneth over cookies!!

2010-11-19T12:36:00.005-07:00

Hey there! May I be the first to wish you a early Happy Thanksgiving. I made these cookies this weekend hoping to use up some Halloween candy. I had bought two XL bags of full size Reese's peanut butter cups after Halloween on clearance. I new I would eat them all so I incorporated them into a cookie so I could give some away. I still ate my fair share though. This recipe is from my awesome sister in law Amy. She definitely knows how to make some sweet eats so believe me when I say this is the best peanut butter cookie ever. Usually you use this recipe to make Hershey kiss cookies. I made the dough balls extra large so there would be room for the whole peanut butter cup. We came up with our name because of the upcoming holiday and the full size peanut butter cup. All your friends will be giving you thanks when you make these babies. Enjoy!!!

This is about how big I rolled the dough out. Don't forget to roll them in sugar. Then you get the soft cookie, the gooey chocolate, and the crunch from the sweet sugar!!

Here they are lined up in all their chocolaty goodness!!

My Cup Runneth over Cookies!!

1 1/2 Cups Shortening

2 1/4 Cups Peanut Butter

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Brown Sugar

3 Eggs

6 Tbs. Milk

3 tsp. Vanilla

4 1/2 Cups Flour

3 tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. Salt

2 Large bags of full sized peanut butter cups

Mix all but the peanut butter cups together and form into balls rolled in sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press in a peanut butter cup while hot!

Pumpkin Pie with a twist!

2010-11-13T13:17:00.003-07:00

Ok, so I was craving pumpkin pie and got a bit carried away. I decided to try it in my cookie pans again to have plenty, and it worked great!! One batch of my dough made two pans and then I just used the Libby's pumpkin pie recipe for my filling. I tripled it for the two pies. Now, here is where the twist comes in. I topped one with a sweet sour cream topping and it was AWESOME!! You could even throw this topping on a store bought pie and throw it in the oven for a few minutes. Everyone will be impressed with this one!

For my pie crust recipe click here
For Libby's Pumpkin pie recipe click here

Sour Cream Pie Topping (double if using on a cookie sheet pie)
16 Oz Sour Cream
4 Tbs Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla
Spread on top of baked pie and return to oven for another 3-5 minutes.

Candy Corn Butterfinger Truffles

2010-10-28T13:50:00.004-06:00

HEY! Long time no post eh? Before you slam the door let me explain. First off I got to go on a vacation. That has been kind of tricky to do lately so that was nice. (Thanks Mom and Dad for helping that be possible.) Next I came home and my computer was dead. Like totally dead. I was shocked how hard it was to not have one for like a week while we shopped around for one and then got everything transferred to it and set up. UGH! (Thanks to my Bro for the help on that one.) Then one of my kiddos was sick and that took some attention for a bit. But, I never forgot you all and in the midst of everything I was still trying recipes and making posts in my head. To make up for not talking to you for a month I am posting 3 recipes at once. So be sure to scroll down and try them all. I must admit that the pictures are lacking, probably because I usually was eating and cooking on the run. Also I was obviously in a trifle and truffle mood. But, these are crazy simple to throw together but majorly impressive. Give them a try and let me know how it went. By the way, I hope you forgive me and I promise not to be a stranger. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Candy Corn Butterfinger Truffles (a great way to use up extra candy corn)

2 Cups candy corn

2 Cups creamy peanut butter

1 pkg Chocolate chips

Place your candy corn in a microwave safe bowl and melt stirring every 30-45 seconds until the candy corn is completely melted. Remove from microwave and add peanut butter. This is when is comes together and forms all those little layers that are like a butterfinger candy bar. Form into balls and chill in the refrigerator until firm. Melt your chocolate chips and roll your truffles until covered. They taste just like a butterfinger. Enjoy!!

Fall Trifle

2010-10-28T13:40:00.003-06:00

Ok, so usually necessity is the mother of invention, but this time I must admit it was laziness that was the mother of invention. So I was home on a Saturday night and I wanted banana cream pie. I told my husband they were on sale and we should go get one. Well, by the time we got all the kids in bed we were too tired to go anywhere, but that did not get rid of the need for banana cream pie. So I checked out my pantry and got busy. This is what I came up with and I must say it was awesome!!

Fall Trifle

Molasses cookies or Ginger Snaps (these were molasses cookies from Costco and they were nice!)

instant vanilla pudding (made)

Bananas

Ice cream caramel topping

Cool Whip

Start by crumbling your cookies and layering them in the bottom of dish. Cover your crumbled cookies with vanilla pudding and then sliced bananas. Top with cool whip, drizzle with caramel and start over again. Chill and then enjoy with chillin with a loved one!!

Oreo Trifle

2010-10-28T13:24:00.002-06:00

Ok, so basically I love Oreo Trifle. I have to thank my sister in law Amy for sharing this with me. After having tasted it I literally had to make my own. By my own I mean one just for me to eat, and share with no one else. No really I made a trifle for everyone and then one for me. Also I ate it so quickly that I have no pictures. But, this recipe is not only DELICIOUS, but beyond simple. Also, thanks to Oreo changing the color of the filling it can match any Holiday you want it to. I do not have measurements, so you can layer them as thick or thin as you like. If you feel like you have extra ingredients add another layer or make your own to each later. Enjoy!!

Oreo Trifle
Oreos
Cool Whip
Instant chocolate pudding (made)

Optional items: Caramel, m&m's, toffee, or any other tid bits that make you happy!

Find yourself a nice trifle bowl, or a tall bowl or Tupperware and lay down a layer of Oreos. You can break them up or you can put them down whole. I don't like them crushed too small, I like to be able to bite into Oreo softened by all the whipped goodness. Then layer the chocolate pudding and cool whip. My sister in law will mix some of the pudding and cool whip to create another shade of layering. You may do as you please. If you have other items you want to add just layer them in. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Super Mario Galaxy Cake!

2010-09-29T11:07:00.006-06:00

Hello all! So I had to share a cake I just made for my nephew. He wanted his cake to be Super Mario Galaxy. I must admit I didn't know a ton about the game, but my husband was very happy to help me "research" for it. He came up with a great part in the game to use for the cake. This is where Mario defeats the "bad guy" Bowser. He is the one being squished under the globe. I had a few people at the party ask if the globe was styrofoam, but no no, it is all edible and I just made the globe sparkle with an edible shine spray. I also wanted to make it more personal so I made a Super Jeremy to go on top. My nephew gave me some figurines to put on the cake and when I asked him if he wanted anything special he said "yes, I want some figures I can eat." He was excited to eat the bad guy and be made into a character himself. Happy Birthday Jer I love you!!

Bowser getting smashed by Super Jer!

Side view.

Super Jer!

Candy Corn Kiss Cookies!!

2010-09-17T15:48:00.007-06:00

So, have you seen all the Halloween stuff out? Of course you have. A few weeks ago it was annoying to me, but now I am getting excited and of course have begun to bake! I found these new Hershey Kisses at Target a couple of weeks ago and have had them sitting in my pantry while I was trying to come up with a great idea of how to use them. Well, being the baking nerd that I am I had this idea come to me in my sleep. Yes I bake and eat cookies in my sleep, and they are calorie free that way!! Anyway, these are beyond simple, they are bright and festive, and taste insanely good. I was hoping if I put them in these cupcake holders that read poison no one would eat them, sadly I was wrong. Guess I will just have to make another batch! Let me know what you think!

So here are the Kisses you are looking for. They are cute and tasty!!

Here they are unwrapped and ready to go!

And here they are melted and swirled to candy corn cookie perfection!!

Candy Corn Kiss Cookies

2 Packages Hershey Kisses Candy Corn Flavor

2 Cups Butter (softened or room temperature)
1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

Cream together and add:

2 tsp. Vanilla

5 Cups Flour

Press into a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until just golden. Remove and sprinkle your candy corn kisses evenly all over the top. Return the oven and bake for another minute or two until kisses are fully melted. Remove from oven and immediately swirl kisses with a knife and cool until chocolate is set.

Fall Popcorn!

2010-09-10T12:16:00.005-06:00

Well, school has started and it has already started to get cool outside. This has my mind turning to fall. I found some caramel bits the other day and had to put them to good use! Fancy popcorn is soooooo expensive, but super easy to make and you can cater it to what you like. Here is a super easy way to put it together!!

These are all the ingredients you really need, but you can add any of your favorite treats. You can also use regular popcorn, but I like kettle corn. Pop two packages according to directions and spread out on two cookie sheets to cool.

Next you need to prep your chocolate and caramel. Melt you chocolate and set aside. Now let me tell you about these awesome caramel bits. The worst thing about using caramel has always been unwrapping those little clear wrappers off the caramel. Well now Kraft has omitted that all together with these little caramel bits. I bought these in the baking isle at target. Melt with one tablespoon water stirring every 30 seconds until smooth and set aside.

Now the fun part. It is like splatter painting but much tastier!! My kids thought this was soooo much fun. They decided to add mini M&M's to one but you could add nuts, candy corn, Reese's pieces, the possibilities are endless!!! Then just throw them in the freezer for a few minutes and break them up and you are ready to eat. It is salty, sweet, crunchy, and gooey, YUM!!!

Snickers Brownies!

2010-08-23T16:49:00.007-06:00

Hello All!!! Ok, I must apologize for dropping off the planet, but even in those crazy busy times I have been keeping up on my baking. Here is a tasty one you must try. After I made that candy bar cake for my husband I had to think of something to do with all those snickers bars. I think I found a tasty solution. So make a batch of these for someone you know who has had to go back to school whether it be a teacher or a student. Both could use some chocolate caramel therapy!!! Enjoy!

So this is really simple. Just whip up a batch of your favorite brownies. Spread half the batter in a greased 9x13 pan and top with 4 chopped snickers bars. Cover them in a layer of Hershey's ice cream caramel topping.

Spoon on the rest of the batter and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until batter is cooked through. Serve to a hungry student or loved one immediately!!

Candy Bar Cake

2010-08-12T12:53:00.005-06:00

I'm back!! So my husband and I just recently celebrated our anniversary and I wanted something cute, but different to do for him and this is what I made. I saw some of these online and you could pay major bucks to have someone make them for you. I opted to make my own, saving me money and giving me a fun craft project. This idea is so simple, but is a perfect gift. All I did was buy a paper mache' hat box at the craft store and a case of candy bars from Costco. I hot glued on the large candy bars. The smaller ones had a thinner wrapper that melted with the hot glue, so I used double stick tape. I cover the top in Rolos, then wrapped them all in a pretty ribbon. I only did one layer, because it was a big hat box, but you could also make it look like a multi-tiered cake using different size boxes. The cool thing about this is that when you are done you can still put a present inside. So the wrapping AND the present are the gift. I also used ours as our center piece for our romantic dinner! So Fun!!! Just pick your favorite candy, grab your glue gun and go crazy! Enjoy!!

Summer Zucchini Sheet Cake

2010-08-05T16:11:00.002-06:00

Happy August!! Well, if any of you have a garden, or a neighbor with a garden, then you know that in August we usually have more Zucchini than we know what to do with. We have been eating it with dinner for weeks when I finally thought I should make some Zucchini bread. Just as I was pulling out my old trusty recipe I thought, hmm a cake would be similar, and would have frosting, so I went for it. This recipe is compilation of a few great cake and zucchini bread recipes, so it has the best of both worlds. I have made it twice in the last two weeks, and we could not stop eating it. You know it is good when you kids say things like this "Hey Mom, you should always fix my zucchini like this!" and "Mom, are you baking today? Because we are almost out of Zucchini Cake!!" Awesome. I cannot guarantee the same health benefits, but the taste, I can. Delish!!! Happy Baking!!

Summer Zucchini Sheet Cake

3 Cups White Sugar
4 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Vegetable Oil
3 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
3 Cups grated Zucchini
3 Cups Flour
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 package milk chocolate chips

Combine all of these ingredients together. Now, I will say this made just a little too much batter, so either make yourself about 4 cupcakes too, or leave out about a cup to a cup and a half of batter so it doesn't overflow in your oven. If you are worried about it put some tinfoil underneath to catch any drips. Also here is a tip to save you from grating for hours. I just chopped my zucchini in big chunks and then threw it in the blender. Not only was it faster, but makes it so your cake is smooth with no zucchini strings in it. Pour into a greased cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes or until the middle is set. I frosted mine in cream cheese frosting, but any white frosting will do. Enjoy!

Pie in a Cookie Pan!!!

2010-07-23T09:40:00.007-06:00

Happy 24th of July weekend! So here in Utah we celebrate Pioneer day which always includes a lot of family and a lot of food. I was trying to think of something other than a cookie to bring to a family party when this idea popped into my head. I love pie, but will admit that you have to make a lot of them to feed a lot of people. Plus it is hard to serve them without the pieces getting all broken. So, this will solve both of those problems. My pie in a cookie pan will feed a happy hungry crowd and you can serve it with your regular square spatula with no mess! Woo Hoo!! Feel free to pick any flavor. I went with peach MMMMMM! Have a tasty weekend!

So, I will fully admit I went with canned filling. I didn't need the hassle of peeling, pitting, boiling and thickening. It made it much faster. Here is my dough and the recipe. My children helped me make this with no problem.

Pie Dough

6 Cups Flour

3 Cups Unsalted Butter

3 tsp. Salt

1 1/2 Cups Ice Water

So first measure in your flour and salt then break up your butter. You want your butter straight from the fridge. It is harder to break up, but well worth the effort. Use your hands to mix the butter into the flour and salt until the whole mixture is crumbly. Next add your water a little bit at a time until your dough just comes together. Do not over kneed your dough or it will get tough. You will still see pockets of butter and that is what you want. Those create all those awesome buttery layers. Cover your dough and throw it in the fridge for about 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Now we are ready to roll. Flour your counter and roll out half of your dough to about the size of your cookie sheet. The trick to getting it in your pan is to roll it up on your rolling pin and then roll it onto the pan! Be sure to grease your cookie sheet!!!

Trim off any extra dough and then use a fork to poke the bottom crust. You do this so the steam has somewhere to escape so your pie doesn't blow up in the oven.

After that, spread in your pie filling. I used 4 cans for this big pie. Before you put your top crust on sprinkle the pie filling with sugar and cinnamon. Roll out your second crust and use the same rolling pin technique to get it on top of the pie. I used a small cookie cutter before rolling it onto the pie to make some decoration. You can do the same or just make slits to let steam out. Be sure to pinch around the edge to keep all that tasty filling in. Next I dip my fingers in milk and rub it all along the top of the pie. It helps make it golden and gives it that perfect crunch. Right after you rub on the milk sprinkle the pie with sugar. I used sanding sugar for a stronger flavor and crunch. You could also top with cinnamon too. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot or cold.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Crispies!!

2010-07-15T18:20:00.005-06:00

Long time no blog! Please forgive me for my slow posting. I did want to sneak in this easy and tasty cookie. I saw the strawberry marshmallows at the store this week and had to grab a bag. This is a simple twist on your rice crispy treats. You add a flavored marshmallow and some chocolate, and all the sudden they are fun and fancy!! Enjoy!

So how awesome is it that these are the only ingredients you need? Melt you butter in a large pan on the stove. Then add the marshmallows and stir constantly until they are all melted together. (Tip: Be sure to melt these at a medium to low temperature. If you do it too fast or hot your cookies will be hard as rocks. I melted mine between a 4 and 5 on my stove.) Add 9 cups of rice crispies and press into a greased 9x13 pan.

Then all you have left to do is melt your chocolate chips in the microwave, spread sprinkle and eat!!

Not Just for Cupcakes anymore!!

2010-07-02T16:20:00.002-06:00

Hey all! So I thought I would share a great tip. These are adorable cupcake holders, but I don't just use them for cupcakes. I also use them to serve treats. If you want your cookies to be the first to go just serve them individually in these cute little cups. I love the convenience of making bar cookies and this way no one has to stand at your pan and cut themselves a cookie. They can just grab one and go, plus they keep your hands clean. I still like to cut my cookies big, so just flatten them out a little and you are ready to go. Good luck and have a great holiday weekend!!!

Stars Stripes and Cupcakes Forever!!

2010-06-26T15:20:00.009-06:00

Ok, I told you the 4th was one of my very favorite holidays, so here is a festive cupcake to celebrate in style. It is simple but will stand out at any gathering!! Also stay posted this week because I have a few more simple but awesome tricks up my sleeve for the 4th and any other summer party!!

These cupcakes are red white and blue, but you don't know it until you bite into them!

Here is what you need. Make sure you use a good red food coloring ( I used Americolor) so you are not pink white and blue.

I made the mix as directed and then divided the batter in half and tinted on half red and left the other half white. I put them in these Wilton squirt bottles because it makes it easier to control the batter. Feel free to use spoons or an ice cream scoop.

I just squirted a layer of one color and then the other and the baking process did the swirling for me. You can also put your batter in and give it a swirl with a tooth pick or a knife.

Bake and frost and this is how they look before you bite...

This is how they look after, a burst of color to surprise the eater. Enjoy!!

Hazelnut Heath Bar Brownies

2010-06-21T12:59:00.005-06:00

Ok, so I must tell you that the 4th of July is one of my very favorite holidays ever. I love everything about it from honoring my country to cheesy parades to family barbeques and fireworks. I will say though, that a lot of those memories are attached to some type of food. That being said I want to share some treats that will make memories and also be a big hit for the summer. This is one of my latest creations, and I must say it is TASTY!! If you love a fudgy brownie or hazelnut, or toffee, basically you will think you have died and gone to heaven. Take a peek and then try it out for me!!

Here are your basic needs, a great brownie recipe (I'll share one with you!), a small container of Nutella (YUM) and 4 Heath bars (YUM AGAIN!).

HAZELNUT HEATH BAR BROWNIES

2 Cubes margarine

10 TBS. Cocoa

2 Cups Sugar

4 Eggs

1 1/2 Cups Flour

Dash of Salt

1 Small container Nutella

4 Small Heath bars crushed

Melt the margarine and mix in your cocoa. Then add your sugar and eggs. Beat well. Lastly add your flour and salt. Spread into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Pull your brownies out of the oven. They will only be half cooked at this point. Open the Nutella and drop spoonfuls all over your brownies. I used the whole jar, but you can use less if you want them less fudgy. Next take a butter knife and swirl the Nutell into the uncooked brownie batter. Be careful not to go all the way to the bottom of the pan. Stay in the uncooked batter on top. Now put back into the oven for another 15 minutes or until the brownie batter is cooked through. The Nutella will stay soft and fudgy. Remove from the oven and immediately top with your Heath bar pieces pressing them gently into the top of the brownie so they don't fall off when you bite into them. Cool completely. These are great hot with ice cream, but if you want to cut them into bars I would suggest refrigerating them for a cleaner cut. Happy Baking!!!

Here they are with the Nutella just dropped on them. You can see that the edges of the brownie are baked but the center is still raw.

Here they are once the Nutella is swirled in ensuring that chocolate hazelnut fudge in every bite!!!

A Wonderland Cake!

2010-06-11T20:54:00.007-06:00

This is my Alice in Wonderland cake. Other than my frosting not liking the humidity it turned out really cute. This was also the first time I have made a topsy turvy cake, but definitely will not be my last. I thought topsy turvy was appropriate for a Wonderland cake. Take a peek at the characters up close!

The Mad Hatter and the Hare!

My favorite, the Cheshire Cat!

Of course Miss Alice and the talking flowers!

And Mr. Rabbit! He was not late for this special birthday party!

S'more Crispie Treats!

2010-06-09T20:17:00.007-06:00

Ok, I told you I would put those giant marshmallows to good use. I have been thinking about Fathers day coming up, and I thought that these would be and awesome Dad's day treat. It's all the great things about camping, but Dad doesn't have to set up the tent. I will try to get you another fathers day recipe in the next week, but give this one a try because it is a definite winner. Oh, and don't worry, those ants in the picture were painted on my serving tray!!

S'more Crispie Treats
1 Stick margarine or butter
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Corn Syrup
Bring slowly to a boil and boil for 3 minutes stirring constantly.
Add 1/2 a 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk and boil for another 3 minutes.
Stir in 14 cups of graham cracker cereal.
Press half of the mixture into a 9x13 greased pan. Press it in firmly. This is where the marshmallows come into play. I will admit I used the XL marshmallows but I broke them in half and layered them on top so regular large marshmallows should be perfect. Then I stuck them under the broiler for a minute. Watch them because they toast fast.

Here are my marshmallows toasted. I loooooooove that smell.

Top them with the other half of the cereal mixture and press in so they stick together good.

Now melt chocolate and spread over the top. To be authentic I melted 6 Hershey bars. Use whatever you like.

Then just slice them up and enjoy. One helpful hint. Spray your knife or cutting spatula with non stick spray before you cut these then you won't get stuck in the marshmallow and your pieces will come out clean. Enjoy!!!

Caramello Cookies!

2010-05-31T11:39:00.004-06:00

So, again, long time no post. Please forgive me. I did happen to get in the kitchen recently and this was what I made. These are actually really called Gooey Caramel Chocolate Bars, but I liked my name for them better. This recipe came from the KitchenAid cookbook. I saw the cover that had a small picture of these cookies and from that alone told my husband I wanted it for my birthday. Being the smart man that he is he got it for me and so I now can share this recipe with you. The rest of the book looks awesome by the way. I don't know about you all, but caramel and chocolate have a special place in my heart, so this cookie was made for me. Plus it is simple. Give it a try and I promise I will post again soon!!

These are mine, go make your own!!!

Mmmmmm caramely goodness. The caramel is just the right consistency, soft, but it doesn't stick to your fingers!

Caramello Cookies!!

2 Cups all purpose flour

1 Cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp. Salt

4 sticks Butter divided

1 Cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 Cup light corn syrup

1 Cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Press tinfoil into a 9x13 pan. This done not need to be sprayed with pam because the base is a butter cookie. Combine flour, sugar, salt and 1 and 3/4 of a stick (all but 2 TBS) butter. Combine with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Press into the prepared pan and bake for 12-15 minutes. Cool completely. Now you can make your caramel. Combine 2 sticks butter with brown sugar and corn syrup in a pot on the stove. Bring to a boil over a medium heat stirring constantly. Once boiling let it boil for 2 minutes without stirring. (If the boiling sugar is climbing the pot and getting too high turn it down a bit.) Remove and pour over cooled cookie base and allow to cool fully again. Finally melt your chocolate chips and add the last to TBS butter and spread over the top of the caramel. I left out the butter. You can choose. Then you can lift the entire pan out by the foil and cut and devour!! These would be great for a summer picnic. Enjoy!!

Giant Marshmallows!!!

2010-05-20T23:29:00.003-06:00

Ok, I have a confession. I LOVE S'MORE'S!!!!! That is one of the very few things I like about camping. Although, I do make them at home quite frequently either in the microwave, or like the above picture roasting the marshmallows over the stove. That is why I literally let out a loud squeal when I saw these giant marshmallows at the store this week. I am going to try and get creative baking with them, but for now I was just happy to roast them and eat them!!! I found them at Ben Franklin Craft, but you could maybe google the brand if you wanted to find them elsewhere. Happy camping, or at least s'more eating!!!

HUGE!! More to love!!

Just Ducky Baby Shower

2010-05-15T16:05:00.006-06:00

Hey all! So here is a cake and cupcakes I did for a baby shower this week. Obviously for a baby boy! I decided to go with a duck theme and it turned out pretty cute. I also sculpted the Mom to be on the cake for something different and fun.

Here are some of the ducky cupcakes. The ducks are white chocolate and I used pearilzed white jimmies to look like bubbles.

Here are the baby feet cupcakes. I know you have seen them before, I made a few of these for some variety.

Here is how it looked at the shower. I told the Mother to be the cake was all hers. I am a firm believer that when you are pregnant you get to eat what you want. Cake is a great option!! Congratulations!!!

This little Piggy wanted to PARTY!

2010-05-10T19:48:00.003-06:00

Hey all! First off I must apologize for my lack of posting. I have spent the last week in the hospital with a sick baby basically exhausted and scared to death. Though I don't have a sure answer, at least he is home and doing well for now. Thankfully I can get back to some therapeutic baking. It is something I can do to share with others and that seems to relieve some stress. Anyway, enough of that. Here are some fun cakes I made recently. The story behind them is that the birthday boy is a Grandpa who loves to tell stories, but when he does he changes it to his own fun version. For his birthday his wife and grandkids bound a book of their favorite story he tells, The Three Little Pigs (they illustrated the pictures and everything). We found it only fitting to incorporate it into the cake. So we had a pig swimming in German chocolate frosting (something I would love to do), and cupcakes with little piggy heads popping out of the mud. To make it fun for the grandkids, each one had the kids name written on them. Something I could totally pig out on!!

"Mothers" Day Cookies

2010-05-01T21:33:00.009-06:00

Ok, so here is a cute idea for Mothers Day. I don't know what Mother wouldn't like cookies, especially these. Nothing says I love you like something warm, chocolaty and homemade. Plus these are incredibly simple (and you could eat a few too:)!)

So basically all you need is your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough recipe and these two happy ingredients. Mothers frosted circus animal cookies and white chocolate chips.

Break up the cookies, dump in the chocolate chips and you are ready to go!

I dipped the tops in sprinkles to match the circus cookies before I baked them.

Here they are all lined up for the oven.

Even the bowl was sad when these were gone! Happy Baking!!

Beautiful Disaster

2010-04-26T15:34:00.002-06:00

Ok, first off I would like to thank those that participated in my giveaway. And the winner is .....
Allyson Baird!! Just send me and e-mail with you info Allyson and I will send you your fun prizes!! Now on to today's recipe. So I was trying out a Paula Deen recipe for banana cake when I realized I had messed it up and put some of the frosting ingredients into the cake batter. After that I put the recipe away and threw a few more things in hoping for the best. Well, what I thought would be a disaster turned out mighty tasty and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. That is one thing I love about baking is you can throw in a little of this and that and make it your own. Now go out and make a beautiful disaster too!

Banana Cupcakes

3/4 Cup butter

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

3 Eggs

2 Cups Mashed Bananas

1 tsp Vanilla

2 1/4 Cups Flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt

1 Box Vanilla instant pudding (dry powder)

Mix until well combined. Scoop into cupcake liners and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until cooked through. Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting. Makes 24 cupcakes.

GIVEAWAY!!

2010-04-21T12:15:00.003-06:00

WOO HOO! I finally got to my giveaway! So let me tell you about these things I will be sharing with one of you. The first is a set of Americolor gel food coloring. These are my absolute favorite. You can get a true red, black, or any color you need for that matter. The second is one of my favorite sprinkles to use. They are mini chocolate chips that are rainbow coated. They are bright, crunchy, and chocolaty. What more do you need?! So how do you get them? First sign up as a follower to my blog. Next leave a comment telling me what your favorite treat is and why (favorite ingredient or memory attached to it etc.) I will take your entries until Sat. April 24Th at 12:00 pm mountain time. Good Luck!!
* One entry per person and must be a resident of the United States to enter.

Harry Potter Cake!

2010-04-15T07:42:00.005-06:00

Ok, I promise the giveaway is still coming, I just had to post this cake because it is sooo cute! I fell in love with this cake more and more as I worked on it. It is a simplified Hogwarts castle with Hedwig, Harry and a Dragon. It was really cool too, because I was able to achieve the brick look on the cake but only use buttercream frosting. I did sparkles on the name plate to make it look magical. Even the rocks around the edge were edible. This cake came together like MAGIC!!

Mr. Potter

I loved doing the flames coming out of his mouth!!

The little owl was cute too!

Spring Break Cake!

2010-04-09T13:57:00.002-06:00

Happy Spring Break to all! We have been enjoying a week off and thankfully the snow that we started the week with is now gone. So I promised a recipe from my Mom and it is sure to be a hit. This recipe is simple, easy, quick and delicious!! The flavors are also refreshing after finishing a winter of heavy food. Give it a try and make your spring break even more SWEET!
By the way, stay posted for my very first GIVEAWAY!!!

Spring Break Cake
1 Pkg. White Cake mix
1 (8oz) Pkg. Cream Cheese (softened)
1 Large can crushed Pineapple (drained)
1 Small pkg. dry instant french vanilla pudding
1 (8 oz.) Container Cool Whip
Coconut (optional)

Prepare cake mix as directed on box and pour into a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until set in the center. Set aside to cool. In a bowl mix cream cheese and pineapple. Sprinkle in the dry pudding powder and stir in the cool whip. Once the cake it cool spread with topping. If you want a different flavor you can top it with coconut. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Hoppy Easter

2010-04-03T12:55:00.003-06:00

Hello! Long time no post. Please forgive me. We have felt a bit under the weather for a while, but we are back up and running just in time for Easter. Since I left you all hanging for a while, I thought I would post two Easter ideas together to make up for it. For weeks, I have seen these chocolate eggs all over the place. You know, the ones you can buy and then they put someone's name on it for you. Can you believe how much they charge for these? It is crazy. So, I have three flavors you can make quickly, affordably, and personally for all your little honey bunnies. Have a wonderful Easter and come back soon. I have a spring cake recipe that will knock your socks off!! (It's from my Mom, so you know it'll be good!)

The large egg in this picture is filled with homemade marshmallow. You may remember that recipe from a Christmas post at http://rebeccassweetescapes.blogspot.com/2009/12/marshmallow-mania.html. I just made the same recipe and then cut out my eggs with a egg shaped cookie cutter. I sprayed the pan with Pam first so they would come out easily. THen I just refrigerated them until they were cool and covered them in melted chocolate. (Tip: Add a little bit of shortening to your chocolate chips when you melt them and it will coat your eggs thinner and more smoothly.)

The smaller eggs are my Oreo truffle recipe also from Christmas but formed as eggs. Here is the link: http://rebeccassweetescapes.blogspot.com/2009/12/cookie-dough-truffles.html.

The last flavor is peanut butter, which is definitely a favorite of mine. The only difference between these and the ones you get at the store is that you can make these as big as you want!!

Here is the simple recipe for those! (This recipe is from a Paula Deen Magazine from a few years ago.)

Peanut Butter Eggs

1/4 Packed Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup Butter

3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter

1 tsp. Vanilla

Melt butter and brown sugar in the microwave until brown sugar is dissolved. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and refrigerate until set. Shape into eggs and cover in melted chocolate.

One last tip: I use frosting to decorate and put names on these. Melted chocolate would be too hard to control.

Obviously, Dad's didn't last that long, but boy did he like the marshmallow!!

Easter Egg Pancakes

2010-04-03T12:11:00.008-06:00

Ok, this is my other simple idea and the kids will love it! We love pancakes for dinner any day and if you are having any type of Easter breakfast or brunch you must add these to the menu.

All I did was make my favorite pancake recipe (a mix is great too) then I tinted some colors and poured them into these Wilton squeeze bottles. (You can find them at any craft store.)

Then we cooked them up in any design you want. They are tasty and adorable.

Bayou Brownies!!

2010-03-25T12:25:00.006-06:00

Hey! We are almost to a weekend. I can feel it and I am hoping that means I can have another movie night with my fam. That is where the inspiration for these brownies came from. We watched Disney's "Princess and the Frog" and just loved it. Well, we needed a treat to go along so this is what we came up with. Enjoy and let me know what you think!!!!

So first make the batter for your very favorite brownie (a mix is fine too.) Now before you bake it break up Oreo cookies in big pieces and press them into the batter. Then bake as directed. The brownie and the Oreo's are supposed to be the bog and the dirt. Once your cookies have cooled cover them in fudge. I made mine from scratch, but you can buy some pre-made(just like ice cream hot fudge). Just make sure it is nice and thick (no need to heat it up). Pour this all over your brownies and smooth flat. This is the mud.

Next comes the mint frosting (the frog). Tint a vanilla frosting your favorite shade of green and add some peppermint extract. Spread this evenly over the mud layer. Now you are ready for the princess part. I topped mine with a jimmy sprinkle that is pearlized so it is shiny and sparkles. You could also use a sanding sugar to get some sparkle. To finish them off all you need is the kiss! So I finished my brownies with Hershey's mini baking kisses. I had WAAAAY to much fun making these!

So, I bought these shoes a few weeks ago and didn't care that I had no where to wear them. They are gold and sparkle and I had to have them. Well I wore them while I made these and definitely felt like a princess!! Have Fun!!!

Ka-Chow!

2010-03-22T10:00:00.003-06:00

Happy Monday! Well, I was busy this weekend with a birthday cake and here is how it turned out. It was the first time I have ever sculpted characters, but it being for a family member I figured it was a good time to practice. What do you think? I was just happy everyone recognized who they were and that the birthday boy was happy!!

Disney!

2010-03-18T11:13:00.002-06:00

Hey all! So last week I was at the happiest place on earth, Disneyland!! I was so excited when I walked through Mickey's house and found a cake. It was stashed with a bunch of other random things so it must have been food storage. I like the way you think Mickey!! Check back soon, I have some fun things coming!

St. Patties Kids Cupcakes

2010-03-14T16:50:00.006-06:00

So, here is another idea for this weeks St. Patricks day. This one is a definite winner with kids, not only to eat, but also to help make.

So here are some basics you will need for this recipe. I used a yellow cake for the "gold", but feel free to use another flavor if you like. Also you will need pretzels and green Wilton candy melts. You can find these at Micheals craft or Orson Gygi. (Tip: Don't try to color white chocolate unless you have special oil chocolate coloring. Regular food coloring has water in it that will separate your chocolate and make it nasty.)

So bake your cupcakes like the directions say and get them in the oven. While they are baking get started on your chocolate pretzel clovers. I melt my chocolate in a microwave safe bowl about 30 seconds at a time at half power so it doesn't burn. White chocolate can burn easily so make sure to do it slowly stirring a lot or on a double boiler. Next just throw in your pretzels, coat them thoroughly and shake off the extra chocolate.

Once covered in chocolate I layed mine out on a piece of tinfoil. Make sure you have three pretzels for each cupcake (and a few extra in case one breaks or you need a snack). Also I broke up the pretzels to make a stem for each clover. They dry pretty quickly, so once you get the cupcakes out of the oven and cooled you should be ready to go.

Frost with your favorite frosting (in this case cream cheese) and place your pretzels on top. Anyone who gets to eat one of these is for sure lucky!!!

Jackpot!!!

2010-03-05T14:18:00.012-07:00

So I thought I would make a cake that would include recognizable colors and symbols that were associated with St. Patrick's Day. I came up with this cute and simple little cake. We have the colors green and gold and also a clover that match so well with the holiday. Wait, isn't their one more thing that we associate with this holiday? How about a ...

RAINBOW!!!! Ok, you might have been thinking Leprechaun, but I didn't know how to catch one of those, let alone stick it in a cake so this is the next best thing! I have to say this was WAY fun to make and it is such a surprise when you cut into it. Check out the process and then give it a try for some LUCKY person in your life. Happy baking and be sure to tell me how it turned out!!

Here we are with the cakes before they were baked. I colored the batter with Americolor for a very dramatic look, but Wilton gel colors would also work too. Once the batter was colored I used piping bags to put it in the pans. I started on the outside with red and worked my way in. One tip: I did one layer of each color and then went back and did another layer on top of the last in the same color. If you tried to make it thick to begin with you wouldn't have enough room for all your colors because they would run into the middle. Into the oven!!

Once they were baked and cooled I stacked them with a layer of my favorite cream cheese frosting and prepared to decorate the side.

Frost the edge with a nice (but not too heavy, or it will droop) layer of frosting and then work your way around the cake placing M&M's. I always put the M on the inside so it is just the plain color you see. You may think this will take forever, but believe me it looks awesome and goes fast. Especially if you recruit some helpers. As long as they don't eat all your M&M's!

I printed this big shamrock off the Internet on a piece of card stock and cut it out. While I was doing this my frosting got a crust on it, which you want. I placed the paper on the cake and gently pressed all around the edges so it sunk into the frosting a little. Then I very lightly wet the shamrock frosting with just a little water on my fingers. Next I dumped on a ton on gold sanding sugar and this is what it looked like.

After that you can either dust off the excess sugars or just lift off the paper carefully. This was my end result. Sparkly and tasty!!

Then all you have to do is dig in and watch everyone's surprised and excited faces!! YUM!

Boston Cream Banoffee Cake!

2010-02-27T17:42:00.004-07:00

Happy Saturday!! I don't know about you, but seeing all these Olympians work so hard makes me famished so I had to come up with something to eat while I watch. This again is a combination of many things that I love. Boston cream pie and cake is delicious, but add bananas and caramel and it's heaven!! Now I can make it through the Olympics without passing out! Happy baking!!

Here are most of the things you need for this recipe. They help make it quick and easy.

Boston Cream Banoffee Cake

1 Yellow Cake mix (and ingredients to make the cake)

3 Bananas

1 Small Cool Whip container

1 Small Box Vanilla pudding

1 Jar Caramel or butterscotch ice cream topping

Chocolate frosting ( I made my own, but canned works too)

First bake your yellow cake. Follow the directions on the box and then bake in a cookie sheet pan lined with tinfoil. The tinfoil will make it easy to remove the whole cake later. It will cook more quickly because it is a thinner layer. My cake baked in about 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely. While it is cooling thaw your cool whip and make your pudding as the directions state and get it in the fridge to set. Also this is a good time to make or get your frosting ready. Once the cake has cooled cut it in half right through the middle. Put one half of the cake in a 9x13 pan. Combine your pudding and cool whip and pour over the first layer of cake. You may fill it as full as you like. Next slice your bananas and place on top of the pudding/cool whip layer. Now comes the caramel. Pour a nice layer over the top of the bananas then cover with the second layer of cake. Press down lightly to secure it. Now top with your chocolate frosting and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Turn on the Olympics (or anything else) and enjoy!!!

Fun Dip Fantastic!!

2010-02-24T12:59:00.005-07:00

So after Valentines day we had leftover fun dips lying around the house and I got creative and came up with these tasty cupcakes. It was so fun to make these. All I did was mix the flavored powder into a vanilla butter cream. It not only flavored it, but gave it a nice color too!! Then you just put the vanilla stick in the top of the cupcake. It is actually a lot cleaner than trying to eat the powder alone. These are a major hit, especially with children. Give them a try!

This flavor was Cherry!

This was Blue Raspberry, but turned out green! CRAZY!

Baby Cakes!!

2010-02-21T14:48:00.002-07:00

Hello Again!! I was so excited this week to hear that a good friend of mine had her baby!! I kept trying to think of something I could take them to enjoy. Finally I came up with this. Obviously it was a boy, but these would be cute in pink too. Congratulations Heather!!!

Reese Crispie Treats

2010-02-18T12:22:00.002-07:00

I am back. My goodness time does fly. I have been trying to make these cookies all week and they finally got made. Boy was I glad when they were finished. Not only did I get some happy baking time, but an amazing treat. If you are a lover of chocolate and peanut butter these will quickly become a favorite. And speaking of quickly these are sooo fast to make. My invention of these cookies came when I wanted to make my sister in laws recipe for scotcheroos and sadly had no butterscotch chips. I did, however, have a bag of reeses peanut butter chips. Throw in a couple butterfinger candy bars and I was set. Give them a try and let me know how it went. I love to hear when you have tried out my recipes. Also, be sure to become a follower so you are updated when I post. Now if you will excuse me I have a cookie calling me!!

Reese Crispie Treats
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Light Corn Syrup
1 Cup Peanut butter
Bring to a boil slowly. (If you boil it quick at a high temp they will be as hard as rocks. Not good)
Once it just starts to boil take it off the heat and add 1 tsp vanilla.

Pour in 8-9 Cups rice crispies and stir until they are coated. You can add more or less depending on how dry or gooey you like them. I like them gooey.
Press into a greased cookie sheet. Here's a tip. Spray your hand with pam and then it is a million times easier to press into your pan.

Melt one bag reeses peanutbutter chips and one bag milk chocolate chips together in the microwave and spread evenly across the top of your cookies.
Sprinkle with two crushed butterfinger candy bars and some festive sprinkles and let them set. If you need this to happen quick just throw them in your refrigerator.

Happy Valentines Day!!

2010-02-12T09:55:00.002-07:00

Happy Valentines to all! May I say this Valentines day try simplifying things. In years to come you won't remember the gifts, just the people and how you feel about them. Bake something sweet together and enjoy that time. It is inexpensive and yet priceless. Have a great weekend!!

Valentine Trifle

2010-02-09T15:09:00.002-07:00

OK, this is an fabulous concept. You get to layer pretty much anything sweet that you love to create a dessert of layered awesomeness. Traditionally you layer your trifle in a big bowl, but I thought making them individual might be nice for valentines day. These glasses are from target and they actually are plastic so they made even my children feel fancy. You will get a sweet reaction if you make this for someone you love!

Valentine Trifle

Here is what I put in, like I said above you can really put in anything you like that will make a pretty layer.

1 Chocolate cake baked and crumbled into big chunks.

Chocolate pudding

Vanilla pudding

Whip cream

M&M's

Strawberry mousse
Chocolate syrup

Layer, chill and EAT!!

Quilted Cupcakes?!

2010-02-07T09:41:00.003-07:00

I made these cupcakes this week for a local quilting club. They chose a tasty boston cream cupcake and I customized them with a quilted modeling chocolate topper that was as delicious as it was cute. Happy Quilting!!

Happy First Birthday!

2010-02-05T10:07:00.003-07:00

Hey all, it has been a busy week. I just finished this cake for a sweet little boys first birthday. I made a caterpillar that looks just like his favorite toy. Have a great birthday Benjamin!

I will have more posts from my busy week later so check in soon!

Molten Chocolate Caramel Cakes!!

2010-01-30T19:17:00.006-07:00

Hello again friends. Ok, so I love molten lava cakes, but to make them you either have to leave them uncooked in the center or make your own truffles to melt in the middle. Both are not my favorite options, so here is a new one. They have these caramel hershey kisses in the store right now and they were my perfect answer. Try this recipe out for someone you love and believe me, they will love you for it! Don't forget to sign up to be a follower so you can get updates the moment they happen!

Here are the awesome caramel kisses, perfect for Valentine baking!

Molten Chocolate Caramel Cakes!
1/2 Cup margarine melted

1/2 Cup Cocoa

3 Eggs

1/3 Cup Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

1/4 Cup Flour

Caramel Hershey Kisses

Combine all ingredients but the kisses and put in greased ramekins or cupcake tin. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes until just set. Pull out of the oven and poke into the center of each cake to create a well. Place 3 kisses in each well. Pull out with the kiss side down and serve hot with ice cream.

Here I am poking a well into the bottom of the cake. I used the back end of a wooden spoon. Don't poke too deep or you will break through to the other side.

This is how they look just before you pop them out!

This is how it looks just before it's gone.

Sweet breakfast for your Sweetie!

2010-01-27T13:46:00.003-07:00

Hey all, I thought I would start throwing some Valentines ideas your way. I know it is a little early, but never too soon to plan for your sweetie. So this is my doughnut recipe I shared at Halloween plus some tasty dips for an extra special day. This recipe would be perfect for a valentines breakfast or brunch, but easy to tweak for any occasion. As you can see I used heart shape cookie cutters to be festive. Enjoy!!

Valentine Doughnuts and Dipping Sauce
1 Can Pillsbury Biscuits
Vegetable Oil
Powdered Sugar
Sugar and Cinnamon mixed together
Sour cream
Apricot Jam
Strawberry Jam

Heat your vegetable oil to about 350 degrees. Cut your biscuits into doughnuts, small bites, or any shape. Place a few in the oil at a time turning as they brown. Be sure to cook all sides if your shape is larger like my hearts so they cook all the way through. Place doughnuts directly in powdered sugar or sugar cinnamon mixture from the oil and coat and cool. Combine 1 Cup sour cream and 3 Tbs. jam together to make your dipping sauce. Try other jam flavors if you prefer. The Apricot and Strawberry were amazing. Share with someone you love and enjoy!!

Peanutbutter Marshmallow Fudge Bars

2010-01-23T09:50:00.002-07:00

Hey all, so I decided to add a new cookie to my cookie menu. I combined some flavors I love and came up with something amazing. This is a rich peanutbutter cookie topped with a chocolate fudge and marshmallow. These are $1.15 a piece and would be a perfect treat for any party or event. (Sprinkles can be changed to compliment the colors of your event.)

Be sure to become a follower to be updated on my posts. I have some really fun Valentines Day ideas and recipes coming soon!!!

Ultimate Butterfinger fudge brownies!!

2010-01-15T16:27:00.002-07:00

Hey all, I had a crazy week so sorry for no update. If you are a chocolate and peanutbutter lover like me this recipe is for you. I needed something sweet for a stay in date with my husband and I knew this would fit the bill. I combine a bunch of things I love into one fabulous cookie. All it needs is a big scoop of icecream or a tall glass or milk to go with it. Enjoy and be sure to let me know what you think!

Ultimate Butterfinger Fudge Brownies
2 Cubes Margarine or Butter, melted
2 Cups Sugar
8-10 Tbs. Cocoa
1 Tbs. Vanilla
1 tsp. Salt
4 Eggs
1 1/2 cups Flour
1 Cup milk chocolate chips
1 Cup peanut butter chips
1/2 Cup Reeses Peices
6 Mini Butterfinger Bars, crushed

Combine all but the last two ingriedients and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Top with the last two ingreidients and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Custom Confetti Cupcakes!

2010-01-09T15:16:00.005-07:00

Ok, so here is my latest invention. I love those funfetti cupcake mixes, but you always have to have rainbow, or you have to buy a new one to match the colors for each holiday. Well here is how to make some of your own and cater them to any party or event you are having. Just make a white cake batter and then gently stir in jimmy sprinkles in the colors you need. They are gorgeous and delicious! So give this idea a try or I would be happy to make them for any event you are having!! Have a great week!

I even tried them with chocolate cake too and though not as bright, you can see the colors.

Here they are all finished and frosted before I cut into them to see their cute centers!

And here they are pre-frosting!!

For the Cupcake lover in you!!

2010-01-05T13:23:00.002-07:00

Ok, I know it's not a recipe, but I had to share these cute and inexpensive finds. I went to Target to get some Valentines stuff because my house was looking bare, and these are some things I found. One is a small rug it was $2.50 in the dollar bins. The hand towels were also there for the same price. The cupcake notebook was a dollar and the valentine window clings were $1.99. I just love cupcake stuff so I though I would share. Happy cupcaking!!

Heaven Layer Dip!!

2009-12-30T11:03:00.005-07:00

So I was thinking of what kinds of things I like to eat at a New Years party and one of them was seven layer dip. So here is my own version of a dessert seven layer dip. Believe me it is amazing!! It is simple to make and tasty. It is also fun because you can add any favorite treats you like to make it your own! Be sure to leave me a comment and tell me what you think! Also become a member so you can be updated on all the sweetness! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Chocolate Heaven Layer Dip

2 Cups Oreos Crushed (about a row and a half depending on how many you sneak while you crush them)

2 Tbs. Melted butter

1 Cup Cool Whip

1 (8oz) Cream Cheese

1 Cup Powdered Sugar

1 small package of pudding

1 1/4 Cups Milk

3/4 Mini Chocolate Chips

1/2 Cup Toffee Bits

1/4 Cup Mini Marshmallows

(You can adjust topping amounts depending on what you like)

First make your pudding so it can be setting up in the fridge. Mix the pudding mix with the 1 1/4 Cups milk and put in the refrigerator. Next you make the crust base by crushing the oreos in a bag and adding the melted butter to that. I just pour it right in the bag, reseal it and mix it around again. Pour a little more that half the mixture in the base of your platter. My bowl is 9 inches across, but if you want a bigger one just crush more cookies. Save some cookie crumbs for the top too. Press into the bottom until the base is fully covered. Set aside. Make the first layer by mixing the cool whip (defrosted), the cream cheese (softened), and the powdered sugar together and spread on top of the crushed cookie layer. Once that layer is on pull out your pudding and spread that over the cream cheese layer.(Pudding should be think and not runny.) Once your pudding layer is on top in cirlcles with chocolate chips, toffee, crushed cookies, and marshmallows. Serve with graham crackers or nilla wafers to dip!

Strawberry Cheesecake Heaven Layer Dip

10 Graham Crackers Crushed

2 Tbs. Sugar

2 Tbs. Melted Butter

Combine and press into bottom of dish reserving some for the top.

1 Cup Cool Whip (defrosted)

1 (8oz.) Cream Cheese (softened)

1 Cup Powdered Sugar

Combine and Spread on Crust

1 Vanilla pudding mix

1 1/4 Cup Milk

Combine, refrigerate until fim and spread on top of cream cheese layer.

1 Can strawberry pie filling (may be replaced with fresh fruit or other pie filling flavor.)

Spread pie filling on top of pudding layer.

Top with extra graham cracker crumbs, and white chocolate chips.

Serve with graham crackers or nilla wafers.

Decievingly Delicious!

2009-12-28T15:47:00.003-07:00

Happy New Year All! I thought I would share something new that my awesome Mother introduced me to. On Christmas she had a great spread of food for all of her hungry visitors and this was part of it. At first glance it looks like plain popcorn, but it is sneeky. This recipe is about as easy as it gets, which is perfect for any new years party, or a night in. Give this one a try and be sure to become a follower to get updates of all my new recipes and ideas!!

Sweet and Salty Popcorn

3 bags Orville Redenbacher's NATURAL popcorn, the SIMPLY SALTED variety popped

1 Bag white chocolate chips

Pop your popcorn and let it cool. This popcorn is great because it has great flavor, but not all the buttery mess (not to mention the calories!) Put all the popcorn in a great big bowl, two if needed. I like to stir mine a bit so all the unpopped kernals drop to the bottom, then I disgard them. Once the duds are thrown away it is time to melt your chocolate. White chocolate burns easily so do short time and stir or cook it at 50% temp on your microwave. I did mine at 50% in the microwave and it took about a minute and a half. Once melted, just pour it over your popcorn and get stirring! Once your popcorn is coated spread it out on a cookie sheet to cool. After the chocolate has hardened again you can break it up into bite sizes or larger clusters if you like. Everyone will be surprised when they eat it because it looks like plain popcorn, but it tastes amazing!! Enjoy!!

Be a star!!

2009-12-24T16:51:00.002-07:00

Hey everyone! Here is a quick tip (no pun intended). When I am in a hurry to frost things I use my basic star decorating tip for everything. It looks a lot cleaner and goes a lot faster than using a regular knife. That way Santa gets his cookies and I still have time to be with my family! Merry Christmas!!

Almond Heaven

2009-12-22T18:59:00.006-07:00

So this is a true love of mine and it is called Almond Puff. It is a pastry and is soooooo delicious you have to try it. Here is the recipe with some pics for reference. Make sure to leave me some comments and become a follower to stay caught up on great recipes and ideas!!

So this recipe has three parts. Part number one is the crust. Combine 1 cube margarine or butter and 1 Cup flour. I just use my hands to crumble it all together until it is a nice crumbly mixture. Then add 2 Tbs. water to make it form a ball. Break this ball in half and spread it very thinly onto a greased cookie sheet into either two rectangles or two circles. It will be spread pretty thin and that is great. This is how it will look!

Set this aside and now we move onto step number two. Melt 1 stick of butter or margarine with one cup water and a pinch of salt on the stove. Once the margarine melts and the mixture is boiling remove it from the heat and add 1 Cup flour. The mixture will ball up like this!

So let this cool for a few minutes and then add 1 tsp. Almond extract. If you have an almond oil use less, this stuff is pretty powerful. Then you mix in three eggs one at a time. Make sure to fully incorperate the egg before you move on to the next one. This can take some muscle, but then you are burning off the calories you are about to eat. Once you get all three eggs in the dough will look sticky which is just what you want.

Now we divide that sticky dough and spread it on top of each of the uncooked crusts. Just use a spoon or knife to evenly spread it over the entire crust. Then pop it into a pre heated 350 degree oven for 30 or so minutes. It should be golden on top.

Now we move on to the last step. Let the puffs cool and make your frosting. Melt 1/2 a stick of margarine or butter and add 1/2 tsp almond extract now add powdered sugar and milk until you have your frosting the consistency you like. I probably used about 1 and a half pounds of powdered sugar which was great for the two puffs. Top with toasted almonds and sprinkles and you are ready to devour. These are always a favorite when I make them for parties and they are the first eaten. Just cut them into pretty strips and serve. Enjoy!!!

I heart Santa!!!

2009-12-19T14:23:00.002-07:00

Hey all! I thought I would post an easy Christmas idea. This cake is actually made with a heart shaped cake pan. I think I was given three when I got married and was thrilled to find another use for it. This adorable santa is easy and simple to make. Just bake your heart cake and cover it with a base coat or crumb coat of frosting. Tint some of the frosting red for his mouth and rosy cheeks. Here is a helpful hint. To get a really good red color use wilton red red and christmas red together or use americolor red. I used two m&m's for his eyes. Then just use a really big star tip to layer on a fun beard and bushy eyebrows!! Your children will love this one!! Enjoy!!

Eclair Heaven!

2009-12-15T14:18:00.003-07:00

I made a huge batch of eclairs this week for my husband to take to work and for a neighborhood party. These have always been a favorite of mine and they are very festive!

Chocolate Christmas!

2009-12-11T16:08:00.005-07:00

There is a pretty sweet present under this tree. These brownies were requested by a boss for her fellow workers. Definately a great way to say thanks for all your hard work.

I topped these brownies with modeling chocolate christmas trees dusted in a pearl dust that was really sparkly. It made them look like they were strung with lights. Beautiful and delicious!

Cookie Dough Truffles

2009-12-10T16:25:00.002-07:00

Hey all, here is an awesome and amazingly simple recipe. These would be perfect for neighbor presents or to bring to a christmas party. This is also an great recipe to do with kids. Give it a try and leave me a comment to know how it went. Enjoy!

Cookie Dough Truffles

1 pkg oreo cookies ( I also did it with chips ahoy)

1 pkg. cream cheese softened

1 1/2 pk. chocolate chips or wilton chocolate melts

Put the entire container of cookies in a ziploc bag and crush them all to crumbs. (Do not take the frosting off the oreos.) This is a fun thing for the kids to do, or for you if you need to get rid of some pre holiday stress. Once they are fine crumbs mix together with the cream cheese. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes. Form the dough into small balls and place on a tinfoil lined tray. Melt you chocolate and roll each ball in the chocolate until coated. Store in the refrigerator. These are creamy and delicious and no one will no how easy they were to make.

Marshmallow Mania

2009-12-02T21:29:00.012-07:00

So I saw this recipe for homemade marshmallows in the recent Taste of Home magazine ( a must have), anyhow I thought I would give them a try and I love them. I was a little nervous to have to boil sugar to a soft ball stage, but even without a candy thermometer this was easy and awesome. The wonderful thing about these marshmallows is that they are so versital. You can eat them plain, put them in your hot chocolate or decorate them as you wish. Above I flavored these with peppermint and while they were still soft I swirled in some red food coloring to look like a candy cane. You could even dip the edges in candy cane if you wanted to.

Sorry this picture is blurry, but it was all I took before they were gone! These oversized marshmallows were a hit when I had family over for hot chocolate this week. You can roll the edges in anything you like. Some options are, fun sprinkles or sugars, nuts, coconut, chocolate chips. The possibilities are endless. You can also dip them in chocolate or drizzle with carmel. I used them to top a favorite pan of brownies this week. These would be great for anyones holiday party, or as a fun homemade gift for friends and neighbors. Follow below and I will take you step by step through the recipe! Be sure to check in often for new ideas and make sure to become a follower and comment so I know what things you guys like! Happy marshmallow making!!

Homemade Marshmallows

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1 Cup cold water divided

2 Cups sugar

1 Cup corn syrup

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp vanilla (or flavoring)

Line a 9x13 pan with tinfoil and spray with non stick spray. Set aside. In a large metal bowl (mixer bowl prefered) sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Set aside. In a large heavy saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, salt and remaining water. Bring to a boil stirring until it comes to a boil. Once sugar comes to a boil cook until candy thermometer reads 240 degrees (soft ball stage). Remove from heat and gradually add to the gelatin with mixer on slow speed with whisk attachment. Once all sugar is in change speed to high and let whisk on high for about 10-15 minutes. The volume will double and the marshmallow will turn white. Once it has doubled add vanilla or other flavoring. Spread in prepared pan (it is marshmallow so it will be sticky, just have fun with it). Cover and let sit for 6 hours or overnight.

Once set remove from pan with the tinfoil and cut with a pizza cutter sprayed with non-stick spray to desired size. These are creamy and delicious. Enjoy!!

Here is how my sugar looked when it was boiling. Don't let it go crazy, you don't want to get burned. This was one reason I used a really deep pot.

This is the softball stage. I let mine boil for about 10 minutes. Then you drizzle some of the boiling sugar in cold water. DON'T TOUCH IT UNTIL IT IS COOL!! If it falls apart it is not ready yet. You should be able to (once cooled which happens quickly)pick it up and squish it together to form a soft ball.

Once you have it to that stage pour it into the mixer and start whipping it. This is how it looked to start.

This is how it looked about 13 minutes later!

Here it is finished and being cut. DELICIOUS!

Oh Snap!

2009-11-25T16:00:00.004-07:00

Hey all, I thought I would post a nice fall transitioning into Christmas cookie. This is a Ginger Snap but kicked up a notch. These cookies are the perfect combination of soft and chewy cookie with a sweet sugar crunch and creamy center. Be sure to become a follower so you can keep up on all my new posts. Also please leave comments about the things you see or questions you may have. Have a great Thanksgiving!!

Here are a few tips to help your cookies turn out amazing!

Once you make your cooke dough, use a small ice cream scoop to scoop the dough into balls. Then all of your cookies will be about the same shape and size. This makes it easy to match them up in the end when you put the frosting in the middle. Also, I just put the sugar on top of the the cookie so it won't stick to the pan.

Here is how they looked before they were cooked. All about the same shape and size with sanding sugar on top.

Once they have cooled fill them with your favorite cream cheese frosting. These cookies are soft, so it is easier to put filling in the middle with a pastry bag. I used a star tip for some detail, but you can just as easily cut of the end of a ziploc bag. Top them off with another cookie and your ready to eat!

Ginger Snap Cookies!

1 Cup Brown Sugar

3/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/4 Cup Molasses

1 Egg

2 Cups Flour

2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/4 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Ginger

1/2 tsp. Allspice

1/2 Cup sugar for decoration (I use sanding sugar, can be found at craft stores)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl combine all ingredients until dough is combined and not really sticky. Scoop dough into balls and dip the tops in the sugar. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes. Edges will look firm and starting to brown. The center will still be soft. Cool on a towel or wire rack. Fill the center with your favorite cream cheese frosting and top with another cookie.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

No Crust No Fuss!

2009-11-17T15:17:00.003-07:00

Hey all if you love pumpkin pie and the flavor of yellow cake this recipe is for you! Don't mess with trying to make the perfect pie crust this thanksgiving, use this recipe instead. It is fast and delicious. I love it straight from the oven with whip cream or ice cream. Enjoy!

Pumkin Crunch Cake

3 Eggs

1 Large (29 oz) Can Pumpkin

1 Can (12 oz) Evaporated Milk

3 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 Yellow Cake Mix

1 Stick Butter

Mix together all ingredients except cake mix and butter. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Melt butter and mix with cake mix. Sprinkle cake and butter mixture over the top of the pumpkin mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until middle is set. Serve warm with whip cream or ice cream.

No Crock, Just amazing cake!

2009-11-10T13:56:00.004-07:00

Hey all! So I tried this slow cooker chocolate pudding cake this weekend and it was to die for! This recipe comes from the Goose Berry Patch Christmas 2009 magazine and believe me, you want to see the rest of the recipes. This was the perfect mix between a chewy brownie and a moist cake. It made a ton, made my house smell amazing, was easy to throw together and I didn't have to think about it again until I was ready to devour it. One option I would add is to change up the chocolate chips. Mint chocolate chips or peanut butter chips would be amazing. Just top it with whip cream or a favorite ice cream and your are set. Give it a try and tell me what you think!

Crock Pot Pudding Cake
18.25 oz Chocolate cake mix
3.9 oz instant chocolate pudding mix
2 Cups sour cream
4 Eggs
1 Cup water
3/4 Cup Oil
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 Cups chocolate chips

Beat together all ingredients until well combined. Pour into crock pot sprayed with non stick spray. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or until toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Serves 10-12.

Cupcake crazy!

2009-11-07T15:22:00.007-07:00

Hey all! Sorry there were not any extra posts this week. I was busy making 400 cupcakes for a wedding today. Here is a peek at what they ordered.

Vanilla cupcakes with a pink vanilla butter cream and white chocolate heart topper.

Carrot cake cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting and orange and white marbled chocolate topper.

Strawberry cupcakes with citrus almond frosting and pink chocolate rosettes.

Chocolate cupcakes with mint frosting and striped chocolate toppers

Lastly a lemon cupcake topped with lemon buttercream and simple but beautiful pearlized sprinkles.

Go Knights!!

2009-10-29T16:28:00.002-06:00

These cupcakes were so much fun to make. They were for a local junior high volleyball team that was having their end of season banquet. I love the chocolate volleyballs! Enjoy girls!!!

Mix up your snack mix!

2009-10-27T12:51:00.003-06:00

Hey All! Here is a different way to use your halloween snack mix. Rather than having a million hands in one bowl, turn your snack mix into cookies! For these cookies start by making a pan of your favorite rice crispies. When cool and set, cover them in a vanilla frosting. Next drizzle caramel sauce over the vanilla frosting and swirl together with a knife. To finish them off top them with your favorite salty or sweet halloween snacks. I chose m&m's, candy corn, and pretzels, but feel free to add whatever you would like. Have a Happy Halloween!!

Raising the Cookie bar!

2009-10-22T11:02:00.004-06:00

Hey all! Here is a great cookie bar idea. As a Mom I don't always have time to make drop cookies and switch the pans in and out of the oven all day, but I still want to make something cute. Here is a great idea that works for most bar cookies. Make your pan of cookies like chocolate chip or brownies and let them cool completely. Pour desired sprinkles on a plate and cut your cookies the size you want. Then just press each edge into the sprinkles. The great thing about this is you can change the sprinkles for any holiday and your cookies look totally different!

Please comment and let me know what you think of these free ideas and don't forget to become a follower to get updates and new ideas!!

Freakin' Cute

2009-10-16T17:36:00.002-06:00

Don't be scared of making this halloween treat. I got the idea from Family Circle magazine. Its a chocolate cake with reeses pieces and a milky way stem. You can use a small pyrex bowl to bake the two cirlcle halves or wiltons ball cake pan. This is the kind of pumpkin any child can help make and it's guts are really tasty.

Nuts for Doughnuts!!

2009-10-10T20:33:00.004-06:00

Hey all! I am starting a new section to my blog of free recipes and ideas. These will be easy and creative, so check back frequently to add to your recipe file and make something fun for friends and family! When I think of fall I always think of doughnuts, but these are beyond easy and have a fun Halloween twist!

This recipe is from Paula Deen on the food network, and the best thing is you use canned biscuit dough so you don't have to make your own!! Just use the lid from a bottled water to cut out your doughnut holes and fry in vegetable oil at 350 degrees until golden brown.

I let my doughnuts drip dry on paper towels and then drizzle the tops with frosting. As you can see I got creative varying the size and color to create fun things like the candy corn, pumpkins and Mommy and Baby ghosts. But they are great just glazed with sprinkles or dipped in powdered sugar or cinnamon and sugar. They are so fast to put together and people will think you have been slaving away for hours! Enjoy!!

Happy Fall

2009-10-05T11:08:00.003-06:00

I did this cake for a local service club. They wanted a cake that looked like fall!

Cupcake Weekend!

2009-09-28T08:51:00.008-06:00

These cupcakes were for a cupcake social following the Relief Society general broadcast for my stake. They turned out pretty cute, and tasty too! Sorry I posted so many pictures, I couldn't decide on just a couple because they were all so fun.

2009-09-23T12:26:00.001-06:00

I think I would want to celebrate my 90th birthday with home made coconut peacan frosting too!!

2009-09-23T12:21:00.002-06:00

This was a welcome home cake for a family from Denmark so we incorporated the flag all the way around the edges!

2009-09-22T17:59:00.004-06:00

Specialty cupcakes for a wedding!

2009-09-22T14:15:00.004-06:00

Trick or Treat? The trick with this cake is that when you cut it........

It looks like a familiar Halloween treat!!

2009-09-22T14:12:00.000-06:00

These cupcakes were for a 4th of July party. Everyone loved how they sparkled!

2009-09-22T14:09:00.001-06:00

These cupcakes would be great for any ocean or beach themed party!