Pioneer Woman's Quick Apple Tart

This was one of the easiest little desserts to make. I happened to have some Pastry Puff around so I got to make this for our Youth 2:42 group one night, I think they liked it. I gave the other to my neighbor and it was a hit over there.

Quick & Easy Apple Tart

source: The Pioneer Woman

1 sheet puffed pastry, cut into half OR thirds

3 to 4 apples, cored, halved, and sliced (but not peeled)

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 415 degrees.

Place puffed pastry rectangles onto a baking pan that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Add sugar and salt to apples. Stir to combine. Allow to sit for a few minutes.
Arrange apple slices on the pastry rectangles in a straight line, overlapping as you go.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown.
Remove from pan immediately and place on a serving platter. Serve plain, with caramel topping, whipped cream, or a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Cupcakes...gone mini!

Bakerella's Cupcake Bites

Boy are these the cutest things ever! I had a blast making them, even though they took up most my day. They were so worth it! I was calling these a "Cake Ball in Disguise"

What you need....

1 box cake mix- whatever flavor you want to use for the filling (Cook as directed)(and I used strawberry)

1 can frosting (I used Cream Cheese frosting)

1 package of chocolate almond bark

Candy Molds

Colored Candy Melts

Squeeze bottle

Sprinkles and M&M's for decoration

Bake cake as directed on box and let cool. After the cake cools mix the cake and frosting together in a large bowl. I froze mine for about 30 minutes to an hour. Once firm roll cake mixture into balls and set aside. Freeze those up for a little bit, maybe 15 to 20 minutes. Get candy molds ready to set the cake balls in. Melt the almond bark and put in squeeze bottle. Squeeze about half to 3/4 full of the candy mold, then set a cake ball into mold. (it will form the bottom of the cupcake)

Let those freeze up just a bit. While those are freezing melt the Colored Candy Melts in microwave to the directed time. Then dip the bites into the colored candy molds and while they are still melted, sprinkle the sprinkles on top and then dollop with a M&M. They make the cutest little desserts that everyone will have a fit over. Time consuming but so much fun to make!

Check out Bakerellas website, she has some of the cutest things she does with little cake pops.

Enjoy!

Brenda's Famous Banana Pudding

This is my Mother in Laws famous Banana Pudding that everyone asks for her to make. It's the most simple thing to make, and it's so delicious.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Sugar + 3 T Sugar

4 Tbls. of Self Rising Flour

3 Cups of Milk (make sure it is 2% or higher)

3 Eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla

3 large bananas

vanilla wafers

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

In saucepan cook sugar (1 Cup), flour and milk. Mix well.

While that is thickening up. Separate 3 eggs. Spoon a little bit of mixture from saucepan into the egg yolks and then pour into sauce pan. Let mixture thicken to a "pudding" consistency and take off the stove. Then add vanilla

In 9x13 pour Nilla Wafers on the bottom of dish, then slice bananas over the wafers, repeat. Then pour pudding over the bananas and wafers.

In a stand mixer beat egg whites on high and gradually add the 3 T of sugar. Then and 1/4 teas. of Cream of Tartar.

Bake at 400 degrees until the meringue has golden places.

ENJOY!!

Cake Balls

Boy were these things a hit! These things are amazing! I was totally impressed, and probably shouldn't have had as many as I had. They were a huge hit at our youth 2:42 group.

Adapted from Joelen's Culinary Adventures - let me go ahead and give a shout out to Joelen, she has an awesome food blog with giveaways and scrumptious recipes. Check her blog out if you haven't yet! This recipe is good if you have extra cake left over and you don't want to waste it! Who wants to waste sweets?!

Ingredients:
1 box of cake mix (your preference)
1 can of icing (your preference)
Chocolate bark, melted

Prepare the cake as the box says. Then mix the icing and cake together (after cake has cooled). Using a small scoop, form small balls of mashed cake. Roll each ball with your hands to form a more uniform balls. Melt chocolate according to package directions and place melted chocolate in a small bowl. Carefully place ball of cake into the melted chocolate and coat completely. Remove coated cak ball and place on parchement(wax) paper to harden.

Pumpkin Time!!

I have been in the mood for pumpkin lately and found this recipe on Amber's blog. I had all the ingredients except the pumpkin, so I made a special trip to the store to get me some pumpkin!! Jason loves to lick the bowl of any batter I make so I wanted to catch him in action!

Pumpkin Sheet Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake:

4 eggs

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup applesauce

2 cups of pumpkin

2 cups AP flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:

1 - 8oz package cream cheese, softened

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil, apple sauce and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13x10" baking pan (I did use the 13x9 baking dish, just left it in the over for 10 minutes longer) Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the icing: Using an electric mixer in a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smoother. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled cake.

(this picture is taken at work...got the heavy equipment in the backgroud...haha)

Caramel Apple Spice Kiss Brownies

Basic Blondies w/ Caramel Apple Add Ins

Ingredients:

6-7 TBS butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder

"Add ins":
1 tsp. apple pie spice
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
45 caramel apple hershey kisses (this is less than one bag)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Line an 8x8 pan with foil and lightly spray with PAM.
In a large microwave safe mixing bowl melt the butter. Allow to cool for 5 mintues. Mix the brown sugar with the melted butter and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla.
Add salt, slowly mix in flour and baking powder until incorporated.
Mix in apple pie spice and cinnamon.
Pour into prepared pan and use a greased spatula to evenly spread mixture in pan and level the top.
Meanwhile, place the unwrapped hershey kisses in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute, stirring half way through. After one minute, stir until smooth, and drop by spoonfuls onto blondie batter. Swirl using a toothpick to create a marbeled look.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set in the middle. Cool on rack before cutting.

Ahh, these are also amazing, and I made these the same night I made the Pumpkin Spice Kiss Brownies. I found this recipe from the blog Macaroni and Cheesecake, I love that name for a blog! Those are two of my favorite foods! I could wait to try either so I made them both =) Luckily I had somewhere to bring them. These got a thumbs up from THE Lindsey Johnson.

Mmmm...Pumpkin Spice Kiss Brownies

I found these brownies on Dinner and Dessert and they are very very very yummy. I made these for our friendship group for our youth girls on Saturday. Got great reviews =) When I first put a Pumpkin Spice Kiss in my mouth...ahhh, it melted. I highly recommend that you try them before these kisses go off the shelf.

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces, at room temperature

3 large eggs

1 cup sugar

45 Hershey’s Pumpkin Pie Spice Kisses, unwrapped

Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, butter the foil and place the pan on a baking sheet.
Whisk the flour, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon together.
Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate melts. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and add the butter, stirring until it melts. It’s important that the chocolate and butter not get very hot. However, if the butter is not melting, you can put the bowl back over the still-hot water for a minute. If you’ve got a couple of little bits of unmelted butter, leave them-it’s better to have a few bits than to overheat the whole.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed and pour in the chocolate-butter mixture, mixing only until it is incorporated-you’ll have a thick, creamy batter. Add the dry ingredients and mix at low speed for about 30 seconds-the dry ingredients won’t be completely incorporated. Then finish folding in the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula. Fold in the raisins, along with any liquid remaining in the pan. Scrape the batter into the pan.

Place the unwrapped kisses in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Stir until smooth, and then drop by spoonfuls into the brownie batter. Using a knife, swirl the batter to create a marbled effect.Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is dry and crackled and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

Carefully lift the brownies out of the pan, using the foil edges as handles, and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares, each roughly 2 inches on a side, taking care not to cut through the foil.

Here is the Pumpkin Spice AND the Caramel Apple Spice Blondies...don't they look yummy!

TWD: Chocolate Whopper Malted Drops

Oh where do I start with these sweet treats....well how about I start about saying FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. I say that because...I burnt a batch of these sweet treats because I didn't put down my parchment paper. ::Gah! What was I thinking!:: But I still had a good time making these. Rachel from Confessions of a Tangerine Tart picked these amazing cookies and a good pick she made. I was lucky to have another church get together to make Tuesdays with Dorie cookies for...so I don't have to eat them all at home =) Here I sit in my work uniform and my apron cooking up a storm of cookies...(well burning up a storm)
This is my second week for Tuesdays with Dorie...and if you are wondering why I'm not posting the recipe to those of my local readers. It is simply because you need to go out and buy the wonderful amazing delicious book Baking: From My Home To Yours I have seen more recipes for fruits I would have NEVER imagined cooking with. It's a neat experience and though I am lucky enough to have my first two weeks cookies =) Yum! There will be more challenges for me to bake and I look forward to it! Thanks for checking out the blog and I hope you enjoy! (And join TWD and buy the book!) Enjoy!Source: Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan

TWD: Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters

I have just jumped on the bandwagon of Tuesdays With Dorie bakers. You bake one thing a week and then post a blog about your experience. They ask for you not to post the recipe so you will feel urged to buy the book, which is a GREAT baking book if you love to bake.


So for my first week Stephany picked Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters. I was glad this was the first one I jumped in on because I love cookies! They were very easy to make and very very scrumptious. They are a mixture of three different cookies combined...Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter. I am so excited about joining this group because it will challenge me to make stuff I am too afraid to make! Buy the book and join the fun!

From Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

Angie's Famous Strawberry Cupcakes

I believe these cupcakes were pretty popular on the What's Cooking board on thenest.com...so I took my chance to make them for my sisters birthday party, and I'm just now getting around to blogging them. I found them on Katie's food blog.


Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 1/2 c. sugar (or a little less)
2 eggs
1/3 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c. chopped strawberries

Frosting:
1/4 c. strawberries
1 Tbsp. strawberry liquor (found at liquor stores, duh...not Publix.....)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
8 oz. cream cheese, room temp
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 Tbsp vanilla

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare 2 cupcake pans.
-Sift flour, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl.
-In bowl of mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
-Add eggs one at a time until combined.
-Add buttermilk, oil and vanilla until combined.
-Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.
-Fold in berries.
-Fill cupcake pans 3/4 way.
-Bake for 20 minutes.
-For frosting, put berries, liquor, and juice in saucepan.
-Bring to a boil over medium heat and then reduce to a simmer for 5 mins.
-Let cool then blend until smooth.
-In bowl of mixer mix cream cheese and butter until creamy.
-Add sugar, then vanilla.
-Add berry puree until smooth.
-Frost cupcakes when they are completely cooled.

Key Lime White Choclate Chip Cookie

Ahh, I must say these are some of the best cookies I've eaten! I loved these! I took these to our church Tailgate Party on Sunday and everyone liked them! They all thought they were White Macadamian Nut cookies, but when they bit into them, they were so much better! I found this recipe from Sarah and they are the bomb. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1/2 Cup butter (room temp)
1 Cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1.5 Cups AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 Cup fresh key lime juice (reg lime ok) I found mine in the produce section with the lemons and limes
1.5 tsp grated lime zest
1-1.5 Cups White Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup powdered sugar (for decoration)

Preheat Oven to 350 F. Grease cookie sheets

In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, egg & egg yolk until smooth. Stir in lime juice & lime zest. Combine flour, baking powder & salt; blend into the creamed mixture. Add white chocolate chips and blend.

Form dough into 1/2 inch balls and arrange on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Sift powdered sugar over cookies while still warm.