My cousin introduced me to this recipe at our last family get together. I fell in love with it immediately! It’s so easy, you’ve got to give it a try!
Mix it all up and there you have it! Does it get any simpler? I think not. I could have eaten the entire thing without the fruit… though I highly recommend the fruit. ;)
Miss K has wanted to make popsicles all summer long. The other day she got her chance! She found a recipe on Pinterest that she wanted to try. It was extremely simple and ever so tasty! Mmm!
All you do is mix the following ingredients together, pour into your molds, freeze, and enjoy.
Source: A Night Owl Blog
Did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month? It makes sense. July… it’s HOT!
But I didn’t know there was a whole month devoted to the tasty, frozen treat. I first learned when I reviewed this book. After all, it was Ronald Reagan that declared July as National Ice Cream Month. What a great man! ;)
And now you know… if you didn’t already.
Did you also know that Tillamook makes just about the best ice cream out there? It’s totally true! {Yes, they sent me coupons for free ice cream but only asked for honesty. The opinions made in this post are 100% mine.} I was first introduced to Tillamook when they asked me to help them out with a Back to School Healthy Eating Campaign (see my post here). They sent me a bunch of coupons for Tillamook products. Of course I had seen them before in the store but always passed on them for the less expensive brands.
All the products were great but once I got a taste of their ice cream…… OH BOY! I had a hard time going back to the store brand (which always seems to be on sale). So I was elated when they contacted me again to do a review of the ice cream. Our absolute favorite is the Marionberry Pie Ice Cream. WOW! Chocolate Peanut Butter is a close second. The kids and my father-in-law really like the Banana Split flavor. That one just didn’t do it for me but to each his own.
And then there’s the classic…. Vanilla. Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate that some folks prefer the old classic. Miss K, C, and B are some of them. But if I’m going to do plain ol’ plain… I prefer Vanilla Bean to regular Vanilla.
But there’s got to be something to go with it. So Sunday night we decided to pull out the dutch oven and make a cobbler.
We were all in heaven!! It’s just what we needed after a dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches because mom (that would be me) forgot to put the roast in before church. Whoops!
This is the simplest recipe you’ll ever find. Our good friend Kevin taught us the butter thing. Before that we had always used a can of Sprite. Never again, my friends.
Heat briquettes ahead of time. You’ll need 24 total.
Spray your dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray. Pour peaches into oven. We poured all the juice from the large can but drained the medium can.
Sprinkle cake mix evenly over the peaches.
Melt butter and pour slowly and evenly over cake mix trying to cover the entire thing. (It can be tricky.)
Place lid on oven. Cook outside with 10 briquettes underneath and 14 on top. That’s about the equivalent of a 350* oven. Cook for about 40 minutes.
Serve with ice cream and enjoy!
I don’t know about your neck of the woods but here in mine… IT HAS BEEN HOT!
I’ve always said that I much prefer the cold to the heat. I’m pretty much a bear in reverse. Hibernation happens during the summer months for me. Otherwise I turn into the Wicked Witch of the West.
Seriously…
Don’t ask Anthony about the Lagoon incident. It was reeeaaaally hot that day. The end.
So anyway, the nights have been nice lately. A little thunderstorm rolls in, cools things off a bit, don’t have to worry about watering the lawn or the pathetic garden. And then it’s hot again.
But I really didn’t mean for this post to be about the weather. Let’s talk burgers!
Anthony has perfected the art of burger grilling. He is the burger master! The king! It all started when we kept seeing pins on Pinterest with these delectable burgers. We’d look at the recipe and think… hmmm, we should try that someday.
And then one day we did. There was no looking back from there.
So, although I couldn’t even begin to tell you which one was ‘the one’ that we actually went for (they were all so similar), I can tell you that Anthony has got this down to a science. No true measurements or anything just one of those “to taste” recipes, really. And of course his secret ingredient… BACON!
And so, for your viewing (and tasting) pleasure, I present to you…. THE PERFECT BURGER!!
And some Sun Chips but really, you could switch that out for whatever… totally optional. ;)
Here’s what you’ll need:
Make sure the grill isn’t too hot. These need to cook fairly slow so that the inside is done at the same time as the outside. You don’t want these babies to burn! Nothing worse than having the outside charcoaled and the inside still red.
Cook bacon about 3/4 of the way. Not to the point of crispy. Chop into small pieces. OH and save the GREASE! Anthony swears by this!
For every pound of ground beef you’ll add approximately 1/4 to 1/2 lb. bacon, 4-8 oz. cheese (whichever kind you prefer), 1 or 2 Tablespoons Seasoning Salt, and 1/2 to 3/4 of a bottle of BBQ sauce. Then get your hands in there and just mix it all up! It’s a messy process.
Form into patties. One pound makes exactly 7 burgers for us. This is just the right amount for my family. The burgers are thick! Form a deep well in the middle, this is important!
Once burgers are on the grill pour bacon grease into the well.
Flip when that side is done (after a few minutes) and continue cooking on the other side. Obviously, right? (You never know… there are people that sue McDonald’s for having hot coffee… don’t most people prefer it that way? Just sayin’.)
These burgers are so tender they literally fall apart in your mouth! I think it’s the slow cooking that does it. OH MAN! They are GOOOOOD!
Seriously, go make them. Enjoy!
There’s a war going on in my house. And it’s all because Anthony’s taste buds are dying? dead? deranged? insane? disturbed?
I don’t know, all I know is they’re just not right! Pumpkin is one of the best flavors in the world when paired with sugar… and chocolate chips (unless it’s pie, because… EW!). But seriously, it causes me much anguish that he doesn’t love pumpkin the way I do.
Maybe I should have screened him better before entering into this lifelong commitment… I kid, of course ;)
Every time I make a pumpkin dish (besides pie because he already likes the pie) I force it down his throat and I just know that this will be it!! This will be the time that he says, “WOW! That is great! I love it, give me more.”
No such luck. He always politely eats (if you can call his unacceptance as ‘polite’… psh!) and then says something like, “I just don’t love that flavor combo.”
Who is this man?
Ugh!
Anyway, I found a recipe that I LOVE! (Original recipe found HERE) I modified it slightly because the original recipe made a gigantic batch and I like my pumpkin treats to be full of spicy flavor. And I lowered the temp of the oven as well.
These are TO DIE FOR, moist and delicious! I promise you’ll love them (unless you’re my husband, then you’re just a weirdy! ;))
Mix together the following:
Add:
In a separate bowl, combine:
Add to butter/sugar/egg mixture and mix…
Add:
Once all is combined well, stir in:
Bake at 325* for about 20-25 minutes. This made 24 muffins.
{Don’t forget to enter to win a 1-year subscription to BYOU magazine. Click here}
The other day I realized that I hadn’t made chicken fajitas for way too long. They are seriously amazing and my whole family LOVES them! It’s now on our regular rotation for dinner… again. (Forgive the picture. I didn’t stage it. Just took a pic last minute :))
Mix olive oil, lemon juice, onion, salt, chili powder, oregano, and thyme in a large frying pan. Cook over medium heat until onion is tender but still has a bit of a crunch. Add garlic. Add chicken and cover to cook for about 10-15 minutes.
Add peppers and toss until they are still crisp but tender. You don’t want them to be mushy.
Serve on warmed tortillas with your choice of garnishments: cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa
Recipe source: The Diet Rebel’s Cookbook
This is how awesome I am at decorating and getting things up on my walls….
Christmas 2011 we got a Family Home Evening board from my aunt. We’ve always wanted one, finally get one, and it sat. It sat until just last month. For over a year it sat and collected dust.
Our intentions were good. We loved the gift and planned to hang it right away. The problem is, Anthony and I are 90%-ers. It’s a sad story, really. Every project we start gets done 90%. The last 10% of the project gets left out completely. And after all, actually owning the FHE board and planning to hang it up is 90% of the battle, right?
But we did it!! Be proud! Sure, it’s a year late BUT it’s hanging up and getting used. The kids love knowing who’s in charge of each part of FHE and I love not feeling like I have to plan the whole thing. Being a 90%-er is hard work!
Last week it was H’s turn to make the treat. That’s the job that all the kids want each week because I don’t let anyone help except that one person. Normally they have to take turns pouring ingredients in.
Taking turns… ICK! Nobody likes to do that. At least not around these here parts.
But I digress.
H chose a recipe that we had never tried before from one of my cookbooks. I’ve had peanut butter bars before but these were super yummy! Better than any I’ve ever tried before. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did. It makes a HUGE batch… a large cookie sheet full. Anthony couldn’t keep his hands off of them!
BARS:
Preheat oven to 325*. In large mixing bowl cream first 4 ingredients. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl and add to wet mixture. Mix well and press into the bottom of a large cookie sheet. Bake at 325* for 10 minutes then raise temperature to 375* and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
FROSTING:
Melt butter with coca in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Add sugar, vanilla and milk. Stir with whisk until smooth. Poor over COOLED bars and spread. Refrigerate to harden frosting.
Recipe Source: Worldwide Ward Cookbook: Mom’s Best Recipes
Beans intimidate me. Not because they cause gas, though that should scare me enough to keep them out of our meals considering a certain somebody that I live with. I won’t mention names. I’ll just say it’s one of my husbands ;).
But seriously, I have never soaked a bean in my life. I prefer canned. My mom tells me it’s not a big deal but for a Brooke like me, it is. Soaking beans makes me nervous. What if I mess up? It’s part of the perfectionist in me. Something I am working on in 2013. Because I know that if I mess up it’s not the end of the world but somehow I can’t bring myself to try something that I think I will be horrible at. Negative self-talk. That’s all it is. Bad!
So, I don’t make chili often. In fact, I’ve only ever tried one other recipe (another cheater version) before this one. And it was pretty good but after trying this one I’ll never turn back! We all loved it!
Make it, you’ll like it…
Saute the onion and bell pepper in a little olive or vegetable oil until fragrant. Add the ground beef and brown. In a large pot combine all ingredients together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about an hour, uncovered. Garnish with sour cream and cheese if desired.
Oh Oreos…
What more is there to say? Who doesn’t love a good ol’ fashioned Oreo? Man! I could really go for some Oreos right now. Too bad we don’t have any :(
I was supposed to bring a dessert for the ward campout a couple weeks ago and in light of the Pinterest Challenge I was doing (Yes, I did it. Maybe not every day but I did what I could and made a few yummy things) I looked up a recipe from my dessert board.
I’m pretty sure it was a smash hit considering that it was the first dessert gone and trust me, there were MANY!
And it was so easy, too!! Didn’t even have to turn on the oven! {Quality of pics is poor… I only had my cell phone handy}
1 pkg of regular Oreos, crushed (divided)
1/2 c. of butter
1 lg box of instant chocolate pudding
2-8 oz Whipped topping (Cool Whip)
8 oz. of cream cheese, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
Crush a whole package of cookies in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin. Reserve 1/2 cup. Pour crushed cookies into a bowl, melt butter and pour over crumbs. Stir and press crumbs into 13x9 pan. Make chocolate pudding according to package directions. Refrigerate until set up. Blend softened cream cheese with powdered sugar and fold in 1-8 oz tub of whipped topping. Spread evenly over crushed Oreo layer in pan, then spread pudding evenly over cream cheese layer. Finally, top evenly with second tub of whipped topping. Sprinkle reserved crushed cookies over the top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe Source: House 344
Yes, I’m a couple days behind. Forgive me!
Well, a couple of days ago my kids and I were at home wondering what the heck we were going to eat for dinner. It was one of those days that we had practically nothing in the house, a trip to the grocery store was MORE than overdue, and Mom (that’s me) refused to take all the kids to the store so…. we had to do some serious scrounging to figure out what we were going to eat.
Never mind the fact that we had already done the scrimping and scrounging for lunch. It was time to do it again.
The only thing we knew we could have for sure was corn on the cob. We have some awesome friends/neighbors who left to go out of town for 12 days and they were worried about the produce in the fridge going bad. And we were the lucky recipients of their food! Woohoo!
So, the search was on for the main course. So glad there is Pinterest in my time of need! First I searched my own boards but for every recipe I found that might work I was always missing a few key ingredients. I finally resorted to the Search Bar (it still counts for my Pinterest challenge, right?). I had crescent rolls in my fridge and a couple of cans of chicken. I searched for ‘Chicken Crescents’ and a whole bunch of things came up.
Then I saw one for Cranberry Chicken Crescents. PERFECT!! I had a can of cranberry sauce downstairs in our storage room.
This was probably the simplest of simple recipes. First preheat your oven to the temperature noted on your 2 cans of refrigerated crescent rolls (if you’re afraid of opening the tube {like I am} your kids will be happy to do it for you ;)). Mix together 2 cans of chicken (drained) and a can of cranberry sauce (whole or jellied). Put a large spoonful into each crescent, roll, and bake for amount of time noted on package.
TADA! Now you’ve got what makes for a GREAT… lunch. Except that we had it for dinner and everyone loved them! I was surprised. Even Anthony (who claims to hate cranberries) loved it!
Does anyone else watch The Next Food Network Star? LOVE that show!! There were so many people I was rooting for this season but my absolute favorite became Yvan.
Not only did Yvan have a great story but I loved his POV (point of view… for those of you who are as slow as me to figure out what the heck that meant!).
FAMILY STYLE!
Probably because I am a mom with a quite a brood running around which means I have quite a few mouths to feed. It just goes so well with me! And everything I saw Yvan make was something I wanted to try.
Of course, there were others with fun POV’s as well… take Justin (the winner) for instance… Rebel With a Culinary Cause! He was just kind of a strange boy with weird views on food… good weird. And I liked him! But I really wanted Yvan to win because while the fun things are great, I really want someone on the network that makes something the basic home cook can make without having to run out and buy all kinds of strange ingredients.
Like fish heads… or using fish bones as ‘chips’. Yes, Justin did that. No thank you!
On the second to last episode, the remaining contestants were asked to make a pilot of their new shows, then they showed the viewers a quick version with recipes included. Yvan made Sweet Corn Mac ‘n’ Cheese and I knew I had to try it!
If you’re like me you’ve been looking for a great Mac n’ Cheese recipe FOREVER! I’ve never loved any recipe that I’ve tried until this one. Please note, I did make some changes per the reviews on this recipe and a personal twist and it turned out great! And wouldn’t you know it, even my ever-so-picky kids who hate all things homemade mac & cheese loved it. They even asked for seconds!
Umm, who are you and what have you done with my children?
And now, without further ado, let’s get on with the recipe, shall we?
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Move one rack to the top of the oven.
Simmer the corn with the milk, onion powder, and garlic powder for 5 minutes.
Stir cornstarch into 2 tablespoons water. Add the cornstarch to the corn mixture. Whisk for about 3 minutes (or until thickened) over medium heat. Add nutmeg, salt, pepper, mustard powder, and hot sauce if using. Remove from heat, cover and keep warm.
Boil macaroni for 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, and add to corn cream. Add the cheese and the egg. Stir well. Pour into a casserole dish or 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
Lightly crush the croutons inside zip lock bag using a small mallet or rolling pin. Add oil and crushed croutons and spread over the top of the macaroni mixture. Cook on the top rack until golden… about 15-25 minutes.
Once upon a time I promised a cinnamon roll recipe that was super duper delicious and oh so divine.
And then I didn’t deliver.
Am I too late? I think not. It’s never too late for a delicious recipe!
I got this recipe from a blog that I follow called 71 Toes. I already had a recipe for cinnamon rolls that I loved and adored but when I saw this recipe I just knew I had to try it. Boy, am I glad I did! I just knew it would be good because of the sheer fact that it’s got a whole cup of butter just in the dough!! Butter makes everything better. Just sayin….
The only thing I changed was the amount of filling in the dough before rolling it up. Hers was pretty skimpy on the filling… so I just beefed it up a bit ;)
Filling:
Once dough has doubled in size, roll out into two rectangles. Butter dough and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. And no, you don’t have to let the dough rise a second time. It will rise plenty in the oven.
Butter-cream frosting:
Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add milk slowly and mix until smooth consistency.
Last year I discovered Resurrection Rolls per the tip from a friend. We had made Easter Cookies (which are also a great way to teach about the resurrection of Jesus Christ) but had never heard of Resurrection Rolls. Guess what… they are even better than the cookies! And quicker, too.
Before making the rolls you can read John 19 in the Bible to remind everyone what Jesus went through as he was crucified. However, because most of my kids are still pretty young and unable to sit through a long chapter like that, I just tell them about it and what each ingredient represents.
You’ll need the following:
Preheat the oven to 350*. If you have strange phobias like myself, have one of your children open the tube of crescent rolls. Yes, I’m scared of them….. balloons, too. Let’s not talk about it.
Moving on, take marshmallows one at a time and roll them in the melted butter. Once coated, roll them in cinnamon/sugar mixture and place on large end of a crescent roll. Roll it up and pinch all sides closed tightly. There should be no holes or gaps if possible.
Place on cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray and bake for 12-15 minutes. – The three days.
While it’s baking, read John 20:1-18
When they are cool enough to eat (but still warm because they’re best that way) open one up and show the kids that Jesus (the marshmallow) is no longer there! He is risen!
And now eat because they’re delicious!
And on a side note… these pics did not turn out quite the way I had them envisioned in my mind. I’m going to get this photography thing down if it KILLS me! ;) I’ve decided that FOOD-tography is even tougher than people photography.
This is the bread that K says is better than any other. She even helps me make it now. It’s her favorite and let me tell you, it is sooo easy! I’ve only recently started making yeast breads again because for some reason they’ve never agreed with me before. Either it wouldn’t rise properly or it just came out dense and brick-like. I had come to the conclusion that I just didn’t have the right touch for making breads no matter how hard I tried.
Then one day, someone explained to me that the best way to tell if a bread dough has enough flour is that it should feel slightly tacky but not sticky. It shouldn’t stick to your hands while kneading but it shouldn’t be so stiff and dry that you can’t knead it properly.
So that’s the problem?! I’m adding too much flour??
Yup!
Turns out, that theory has proven to be true. I don’t know how I didn’t know this before. I’m a little slow sometimes, I admit it.
There have been no bread mishaps since I’ve resisted the urge to add more flour than is necessary. I just always thought it needed more. Also, I never knew what ‘warm’ meant when referring to the water temp. How warm? Hot warm? Cool warm? Somewhere I learned that it should be about the temp that would feel comfortable on your head in the shower or if you were washing your hair over the sink… warmer than I would have thought. Seems to work so that’s the ‘warm’ I go with now.
This recipe came from my Worldwide Ward Cookbook (awesome book!). I only adjusted the temperature and the baking time because the first time I made this it was still doughy in the middle… YUCK! The temp was way too low and the time was too short.
Whole Wheat Bread
Combine 4 1/2 tsp. (2 packets) yeast and 3/4 c. warm water in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of whole wheat flour and stir vigorously. Now you need to ‘sponge the dough’ by allowing the mixture to sit for about 45 minutes, covered with a towel.
Add 2 1/2 c. warm water and 2 c. of whole wheat flour. Mix well.
Add 1/2 c. wheat gluten, 1/3 cup honey, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, 2 1/2 tablespoons oil. Mix well.
Add another 4-6 cups whole wheat flour (mine always takes 4-5), one at a time and mixing well inbetween, until it is good bread consistency (slightly tacky but not sticky). You’ll have to mix the last bit in by kneading.
Knead for 10-15 minutes.
Shape loaves and place into 2 greased loaf pans. To shape my loaves I like to roll it out like cinnamon rolls, making sure that it’s at least as wide as the pan is long. Does that make sense? It doesn’t have to be pretty or perfectly rectangular. Roll it up like cinnamon rolls (not too loose or too tight, just firm) and tuck under where needed to fit properly into pan.
Allow to rise until double in size (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).
Bake in preheated 350* oven for 30 minutes.
Remove from pans onto cooling rack. My whole family LOVES this bread. We haven’t had to buy a loaf from the store for about a month now.
So there I was watching The Biggest Loser (so sad that Chism went home… Go Emily!); a show that should have motivated my palate to eat something healthy. You know, something like carrot sticks, egg whites, or maybe Cheerios (because apparently they are a sponsor).
This week each contestant had to go home for 18 days and lose 5% of their body weight in order to claim immunity when they came back to the ranch and weighed in. They all had their struggles but for the most part they did pretty well. And even I was doing well until Cassandra decided to make these scrumptious looking peanut butter cookies with Hershey Kisses in the middle. For the record, she only had one! Go Cassandra! Self control is tough to master.
Well, after that, I felt any ounce of self control I had left drain from me and all I could think about was a chocolate and peanut butter combo in any form. I just needed chocolate and I needed peanut butter. So the next day I was on a quest to scratch that chocolate/peanut butter itch that I had.
I decided to concoct my own version of Peanut Butter Oreos. They are WAY better than the ones you buy. My family loved them and Anthony has asked me to make them for the people at work on Monday. Hopefully they like them as much as we do!
I’ve made homemade Oreos before and they are great but I decided to try a different recipe for the cookie part and I think I liked it better!
Homemade Peanut Butter Oreos
1 chocolate cake mix (I like Devil’s Food, Dark Chocolate or Chocolate Fudge)
1 stick of butter, melted (1/2 cup)
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350*. Mix all ingredients with a wooden spoon or stand mixer. This makes a thick dough. Roll into small 1 inch balls and place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 or 9 minutes. Do not overbake! If you make bigger cookies, you may need up to 10 minutes.
Recipe Source: One Good Thing
Peanut Butter Filling:
1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. creamy peanut butter
5 T. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt (omit if using salted butter)
1/3 c. whole milk
Mix all ingredients except milk together well. Add milk and mix until creamy.
Recipe slightly adapted from: Ina Garten
Once cookies have cooled, spread frosting on the bottom of half the cookies and top with the other half of the cookies.
These are really good! Betcha can’t eat just one ;)
You have to try this recipe! It is the best caramel popcorn in the whole wide world… borderline addictive. I can’t stay away from it if it’s in the same house… let alone the same room as me.
I got the recipe from my friend, Lara. She made it once when we went over to play games. I’m so glad she was willing to share the recipe. It saved me from searching high and low for possibly ever trying to find a recipe that even comes close.
It’s gooey and sticky… just the way I LOVE it! It would make perfect popcorn balls.
Caramel Popcorn
2 large mixing bowls full of popcorn (remove kernels)
2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
1 c. light corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk (15 oz)
1 tsp. vanilla
Bring brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup to a boil in saucepan, stirring constantly. Add condensed milk… keep stirring and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over popcorn, stir and ENJOY! (or quickly form into balls if desired)
Seriously, it’s addicting. Be careful! ;)
Hey guys, I’m over at Latter-Day Homeschooling today and I am sharing a recipe for Taco Seasoning that I guarantee will knock your socks off! Please stop by and say hi.
Has pumpkin season come and gone already? Am I too late to post a pumpkin recipe? I sure hope not because you absolutely, positively want to try this recipe! I promise, it is insanely yummy.
I first tried this at my family Christmas party this past December. My cousin had brought it and I was in LOVE at first bite! Seriously, it is ridiculous. I’ve had pumpkin pies, pumpkin rolls, pumpkin bars, pumpkin cake, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread, and even pumpkin cinnamon rolls… all of which I LOVE. Pumpkin is my friend. But never had I ever heard of a Pumpkin Pudding Cake. And guess what, I think it’s my favorite pumpkin treat of all time!
It took a couple months but I finally… finally!… got the recipe from her. I practically begged her for it. Thank you, Kara!
She got this recipe from a friend of hers and boy oh boy am I glad they are friends! ;)
Now, let’s make some deliciousness!
Pumpkin Pudding Cake
Preheat oven to 350*
Crust:
Mix together the cake mix (minus 1 cup which you should set aside for the topping), egg and butter. Pat into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.
Filling:
Combine all ingredients and mix with electric hand mixer. Pour over crust.
Topping:
Blend all ingredients with pastry blender or fork. Blend until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over top of filling.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour… THEN, turn oven OFF after one hour and leave cake in for 10 minutes longer.
Serve warm or cold (I actually prefer cold) with whipped cream or ice cream.
If you are a pumpkin fan, you will love this!
Maybe you remember that the last time I made cake pops it worked like a charm… kind of.
They were a lot more work than I had anticipated and vowed that I would definitely try them again (in a year or two ;)).
But then my mom bought us a cake pop maker by BabyCakes.
She bought it at the beginning of December and it took until now for me to try it. Can you blame me? I was nervous! Plus, the whole idea of a cake pop holding together is the fact that it has frosting as the ‘glue’. That’s how it works. These were going to be pure cake… how in the world were they going to hold together and stay on the stick? There was just no way!
Needless to say, I was skeptical.
And so it sat and sat forever and ever (two months counts as forever and ever, right?) until I finally mustered up enough courage to give it a go.
I used a recipe from the owner’s manual for chocolate cake pops. The recipe called for a bit of freshly brewed coffee. We don’t drink coffee at our house so what do you do when you have no coffee to freshly brew? You brew up hot chocolate of course! Worked like a charm!
I followed the directions to a T regarding how early to plug in the unit, how much batter to put in each section and how long to let them cook.
And I learned a thing or two about how quickly I needed to fill each section… umm, yeah.
That’s what happens when you put a whole tablespoon in (as directed… it fills it to the top) and go too slowly filling the rest. I recommend filling it just slightly lower than the top and then move quickly! I also recommend spraying with non-stick spray between each batch.
But even that slight mishap didn’t ruin the cake pops. The thin layer between them chipped away easily. No worries.
To remove them from the unit, I used the handy dandy fork tool that came in the box. Honestly I thought that would be a silly way to do it because it would break them. Surprisingly, it worked wonders and I don’t know how I would have done it without that wonder of a fork-ish thing. What would you call that thing? I just don’t know.
Look how cute they are!
Perfect little balls of happiness. Yes, they made me happy.
Once they were cooled they went into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Then I left and my mom took over the process with her little helpers also known as my kids.
After pulling the pops out of the fridge, she stuck them on the sticks.
She melted the chocolate in the microwave, added a few teaspoons of shortening to thin it a bit (you can also use coconut oil) and stirred until it was a good consistency for coating and then rolled the pops in it to coat.
How cute are they? And they tasted good too. Like, REALLY good! It’s a good thing I have so many kids to help me out with eating naughty treats because I could have a major issue!
Do I recommend this product? Heck yes! Will I use it again… SOON? Heck yes! Do I think you need one? Heck yes!
**I was NOT compensated in any way, shape or form for this review. The BabyCakes ‘people’ don’t even know I exist and have no idea I am doing a blog post about their product. It’s just a product that I tried and really loved and thought you might love it as well. All opinions herein are my own and were not influenced in any way. The link to the cake pop maker on Amazon is an affiliate link. Should you choose to purchase from that link, I will earn an itty bitty percentage that would be much appreciated! Thanks so much.**
As I was perusing my overflowing bookshelf of cookbooks the other day, my Pampered Chef Celebrate! book jumped out at me and I decided to take peek inside. This particular recipe sounded so good that I just had to give it a try. It was Monday and that means we have to have dessert. Family Home Evening just isn’t complete without it.
I had all the ingredients on hand which made it even more appealing. We all loved it! We will definitely be making this one again.
Coconut Almond Brownies
Preheat oven to 350*.
Prepare brownies according to mix directions for cake-like brownies. Spread into 13x9 pan and bake for 18-22 minutes or until brownie is set but not completely done.
Sprinkle coconut on top of brownie and layer chocolate chips on top of that. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over coconut and chocolate. Sprinkle almonds on top to taste. You could omit the almonds but I recommend keeping them!
Bake 20-23 minutes or until coconut is browned around edges. Let cool before cutting.
We decided that we might try butterscotch chips next time or maybe caramel sauce instead of the sweetened condensed milk. These were delicious as is we just want to experiment!
