SugarBlog - Homemade Hostess Cupcake Cake Balls This is not a lie... this is the truth... There are times when I will have lots of yummy, homemade baked goods in my house and I will drive to the gas station to get a Hostess Cupcake. They are my favorite. And they are adorable.... They are served in that really cute little tray. Now... you all know I love cake balls. Anyways... This whole thing is easy just a bit time consuming... several steps... but worth it! Now you know for the cake balls you will need to bake the cake and let it cool completely. Then add 1/2 container of cream cheese cake frosting and mix with hands. I used my trusty cookie scoop to make the balls. Then just hollowed them out with my finger :). Once this is done place them in the freezer while you are making the cream filling. Also... The hardest part to this recipe was finding an easy and tasteful cream filling recipe.. but I found one! Cream Filling You will need: 2 tsp very hot water, not boiling 1/4 tsp salt 1 jar marshmallow creme 1/2 cup shortening 1/2 tsp vanilla
Honeyed Pears in Puff Pastry Poaching fruit is one of my favorite things to do when cold weather arrives. It's so warming to stand over a boiling pot of fragrant spices and lose yourself in thought. When I made these, I couldn't help but daydream as I stirred; if I were a pear... I wouldn't want to spend my days on the shelf of a cold produce department. I'd want to be taken to a warm home and placed in a jacuzzi of honey and spices. That sounds a little silly, but that's what I'd want... if I were a pear. The idea for these came from the Pepperidge Farm website. On a personal note, our Christmas tree is already up courtesy of Mr. Since poaching is a relatively easy task, I'll skip to some helpful tips for wrapping the pears in puff pastry. The poaching liquid has a high concentration of sugar, so your pears will be sticky. When you reach the top, tuck in the end piece of pastry behind the last spiral. 4 small pears 1 sheet of ready made puff pastry dough, thawed 4 cups water 2 cups sugar 1 cup honey 1/2 lemon
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles | RecipeGirl.com - StumbleUpon I’ve never liked chocolate chip cookies. Go ahead and throw tomatoes at me if you’d like, but I don’t like ’em. They’re just a plain old cookie, after all, with a few studs of chocolate chips in them. They’re nothing special to me, unless you get some cookie dough-action before it meets its fate in the oven. Now you’re talkin’. I’d much rather drown my sorrows in a bowl of cookie dough than nibble a dozen “cookies” dipped in milk. I know there are plenty of cookie-dough-nay-sayers out there… you know, the salmonella scare and all . Chilled dough is rolled into 1-inch balls. Those chilled dough balls are dipped in chocolate and then placed onto waxed paper to set. I dipped a few in Ghirardelli White Chocolate Bark and a few in the Chocolate version too. Oh yeah! Yield: 3 to 4 dozen truffles Prep Time: 45 min + chilling time Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles Best served cold, these treats are for cookie-dough lovers. Ingredients: Directions: 1. 2. 3. Tips:
Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes Recipe As I mentioned on Friday, I have been doing some experimentation with the beer and chocolate combination. The Guinness-chocolate ice cream that I made totally kicked butt, so I couldn’t wait to see how I liked beer and chocolate in my cake. The answer? These cupcakes consist of a Guinness-chocolate cake base, which has a wonderful depth of flavor and is also supremely moist. While you can’t really taste the beer in the cupcakes (it serves as more of a flavor enhancer for the chocolate), you can definitely taste the alcohol in the filling and the frosting. I think I need to start converting more drinks into baked goods, this was too much fun (and way delicious!). Two year ago: Sour Cream Coffee CakeThree years ago: Pot Roast in the Crock Pot Yield: 24 cupcakesPrep Time: 40 minutesCook Time: 17 minutesTotal Time: 1 hour Guinness cupcakes with a Jameson whiskey ganache center and topped with a Baileys Irish Cream frosting.
bake sale week: raspberry lemonade bars I know this seems like a bit of a cop out, seeing as last year I made those lime bars, but the name of these just makes you want one, doesn’t it? It’s like one last throw back to the summertime captured in a cookie. raspberry lemonade bars for the crust: 9 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick, plus one tablespoon) 1/4 cup (50g) superfine sugar (or regular granulated) 1 cup (100g) of unbleached all-purpose flour pinch salt for the filling: 1 1/2 cups (287g) superfine sugar (or regular granulated) 3 egg whites 1 egg 2/3 cup (150mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 3 lemons) 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 lemons) 2/3 cup (65g) unbleached, all-purpose flour pinch of salt 1-2 cups (150-275g) of frozen raspberries, defrosted 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar 1. 2. 3. 4.
Spoon Fork Bacon — Page 5 - StumbleUpon This Sunday my boyfriend and I will be running in our very first 5k. I’m so scared….like petrified. We moved into a new apartment a couple months ago, which happens to be right next to the beach. Something we’ve taken up due to the move are beach runs. Anyway, I have no idea why, but this time around things are different. Something that’s keeping me a little more motivated about the run this Sunday and having to get up early, is that fact that I’ll be making these pickled pulled pork sandwiches. This is actually the only dish I make in a slow cooker (specifically our multifunction Cuisinart 3-in-1 Cook Central). Slow Cooker Pickled Pulled Pork Sandwiches Serves 7 to 9 14-18 slices thick cut white bread, lightly toasted 2/3 cup mayonnaise, divided 1. *The Cuisinart 3-in-1 Cook Central was gifted to us by Cuisinart.
Banana Split Cupcakes Banana Split Cupcakes ~ It’s been what, a little over 30 days since I posted a cupcake, so of course I went crazy with dipping, rimming, stuffing and stacking this Banana Split Cupcake with all kinds of cupcakey goodness. Banana Split Cupcakes Remember these Banana Split Bites stuffed with ice cream from last year? It’s actually the same banana cream custard I used in this Mini Banana Cream Pie recipe. By now, I’m sure you’re beginning to sense that I have a deep, serious love for anything banana flavored. Until then, I hope you love this riff on a banana split dessert recipe as much as I do. A few notes: Advance preparation: The banana cream custard filling can be prepared up to a day in advance. Banana Split Cupcakes Adapted from Magnolia’s Vanilla Cupcake | Makes 20-24 cupcakes Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Ingredients: Cupcakes: Banana Cream Custard Filling: Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: Instructions: 1. 2. 1. 1. Chocolate Dipping Sauce: 1. To assemble: 1. 2.
How to Make Ice Cream Without a Machine My year abroad in Paris has taught me many things, like how to wear high heels on the subway without falling over, how to converse with slightly aggressive old ladies in fur coats, and, more importantly, the answer to the timeless question of how many sandwiches I can eat in a day without wanting to die (five). But one thing I really miss from the states (aside from going out dancing without having to listen to techno) is ice cream. During the winter the only place to buy it in my neighborhood are the cafes that sell Berthillon, which claims to be the world's best and oldest ice creamery, for close to ten euros a scoop. Not worth it! So I started making it for myself, and now I'm going to show you how to make your own seasonally inappropriate ice cream. If you’re worrying about your lack of an ice cream machine, don’t! For the base you will need: -1 cup whole milk -¾ cup sugar -2 cups heavy cream (keep cold!) -5 (yes 5!) Side note: Does anyone know why all the dairy here come in boxes?
Cinnamon Toast&Rolls - Circle B Kitchen - Circle B Kitchen - StumbleUpon The USDA released its new food pyramid the other day (which is actually a plate now instead of a pyramid), and I am sorely disappointed to report that cinnamon rolls did not appear anywhere on that plate. I think by now most of us know what should be on our dinner plate in terms of healthy, well-rounded nutrient-laden meals, but it is my considered opinion that our breakfast plate should include cinnamon rolls now and then. And not just any cinnamon roll, mind you, but how ‘bout a homemade cinnamon roll hybrid that is a cross between a cinnamon roll and cinnamon toast, is super easy to make and gosh darn delicious. In honor of their ancestry, I call these little gems cinnamon toast rolls, and here’s all you need to make them… Yep. Trim the crusts off of the bread Roll the bread really flat Brush both sides of the bread with butter Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar Roll in any fashion you like (I’ve also folded them into little triangles) Cinnamon Toast Rolls Click here for a printable recipe
Banana Caramel Cupcakes Banana Caramel Cupcakes Banana Caramel Cupcakes ~ If you love bananas, banana bread and caramel sauce, you will go crazy for this cupcake that masquerades as a cake. Banana Caramel Cupcakes I made this just a few weeks ago and did not have any luck keeping them around. We ended up eating them all before they could be photographed. This time around I gorged on three of these little babies straight out of the oven and set aside a few for the family, then hid the rest to photograph. Subtly sweet and flavorful on its own, my family enjoys these Banana Caramel Cupcakes undressed and plain, as much as they liked them filled and frosted. In fact, we love this recipe so much I no longer make banana bread. A few notes: Make two batches as this recipe does not do well doubled up.The tops will flatten out slightly as they cool.For a variation, I sometimes throw in bittersweet chocolate bits.For the caramel sauce try my homemade version. {Printer Version} Yields 12 cupcakes Bake at 350 F. Ingredients: 1.
Fun Summer Dessert: Watermelon Pie One of my summertime childhood memories is eating the yummy watermelon sherbet dessert at Friendly’s restaurant. I loved it, so I decided to try to replicate this dessert for my own kids’ summertime memories! I made some “watermelon pie” for our 4th of July feast this year…to great success! My 4-year-old daughter loved it – like mother, like daughter! She saw it in the pan before I sliced it up…at that point it was still just a circle. When I started to cut the pie, making the watermelon slices, she exclaimed very earnestly, “Wow! The best part…watermelon pie was super simple to make! Ingredients: - Lime Sherbet - Vanilla ice cream or Pineapple sherbet - Red/Pink-colored sherbet…I couldn’t find this, so I bought Raspberry/Pineapple/Orange swirl sherbet, mixed it up with red food coloring and it was perfect! Directions:1. A funny tip…I served the watermelon pie on paper plates, but wanted to take a nice picture for this post, so I put my own slice on a real dish. Tagged as: pie
Chocolate Cheesecake Cake | RecipeGirl.com - StumbleUpon Chocolate Cheesecake Cake You know how some people really don’t get along well with their In-Laws? How visits with them are stressful and awkward and generally awful for many people? Yeah, not me. I got kinda lucky on that whole “in-law” thing. It happened to be my dear Father-in-Law’s birthday last weekend. If you followed my blog over the holidays, you may have seen me make that oh-so-yummy Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake. I always, always bake my cheesecakes in a “water bath.” That baked cheesecake is popped into the freezer and allowed to freeze up nice and firm. In case you’re wondering how I got my cake layers to bake up so even and flat… nope, I did not trim them. The frosting recipe I used is also from the Piece of Cake cookbook- Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting. It’s a pretty fudgy frosting, so I’d say it’s not great for trying to pipe decorations. And I shaved some chocolate on top. I guess I have to say it. So… I’m curious…do you get along with your in-laws?
Mint Chocolate Chip Cake Chocolate cake and I have had a very interesting romance. I started off with quite an intense dislike of chocolate cake. I KNOW. But try not to judge me too harshly, I had many bad experiences with store-bought dry, dense mudcakes covered in grainy baking chocolate icing. So every year when I asked Regex Man what cake he would like for his birthday and every year he replied me with "Chocolate So this year for Regex Man's birthday I offered to do a chocolate cake even though he said it didn't have to be chocolate this year. I used David Lebovitz's devil's food cake recipe again, my new favourite chocolate cake since making it for my raspberry cupcakes when I launched the new site. Originally I was going to arrange the scoops of icing around the edge of the cake, but I realised I didn't have quite enough icing to do that so I ended up just doing a few of them in the middle. Mint Chocolate Chip Cake Mix together the coffee and milk. Happy Birthday Regex Man!
Rainbow Cake in a Jar | The Family Kitchen I’ve always had a penchant for sunshine in a jar. Doesn’t the very phrase itself, “sunshine in a jar,” roll off your tongue and fill your mouth with magic? While I’ve never yet found myself a sunshine in a jar, I think we may have just concocted it in our kitchen tonight. In this simple recipe, a basic white cake is turned into a slew of bright colors, baked to perfection, then topped with a creamy white frosting. Cakes baked in jars can be topped with traditional metal canning lids and stored in the fridge for up to five days. Rainbow Cake in Jar 1 box white cake mix made according to package instructionsNeon food coloring in pink, yellow, green, turquoise, and purple3 one-pint canning jars1 can vanilla frostingRainbow sprinkles Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop about 1/2 cups of cake batter into five small bowls. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the purple batter into the bottom of each jar. For even more great desserts in a jar, check out our slideshow “Contain Yourself!