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The Apron Gal: Baked S'mores

The Apron Gal: Baked S'mores
I know, I have done 4 whole posts without dessert. I am making it up to you with this one, o man. Another awesome birthday present I got was this gorgeous thing: So of course I have been baking up a storm!! Anyways, Start by making your crust by creaming butter, sugar, then adding vanilla and egg. Once the dough is made, divide it in half and press one half into the bottom of the pan for the bottom crust. **Note the main recipe calls for an 8 by 8 but I stretched mine to a 12 by 8 pan with one extra chocolate bar just fine! Next spread a jar of this good stuff on top of the chocolate. Now comes the trickiest part but it's still easy. That's it! Try to eat just one. Because of the huge response to this recipe, I have made these several times in several different ways and here are my notes: What size pan should I use? I have made this recipe in an 8 by 8, 11 by 7, 12 by 8 and 13 by 9. Can I use marshmallows instead of marshmallow fluff? You can make it from scratch! In a nutshell, yes! Enjoy!

Restaurant Style Salsa Okay. Here’s the situation: I am completely high maintenance when it comes to salsa. Now, I’m not talking about Pico de Gallo. What I’m making today is salsa. As ubiquitous as it is, you’d think salsa would be a pretty straightforward thing. No vinegar, dude! Must have cilantro, holmes! Who knew I had such deeply felt principles? Salsa…it just brings it out in me. My whole point is, if you have a good blender or food processor, making salsa at home is a total snap. The Cast of Characters: Whole canned tomatoes, Rotel (tomatoes and chilies), onion, fresh jalapeno, salt, sugar, garlic, and cilantro. Dice up a little onion. Throw the canned tomatoes, juice and all, into the bowl of a food processor. Next, dump in the two cans of Rotel. That I used one can of Mild and one can of Original was purely an accident…but strangely, the balance of spice turned out to be just right. Add just 1/4 cup chopped onion to the bowl. Now, chop up one clove of garlic and add it to the bowl. Again: moderation, baby.

Nutella Pound Cake You know what's cruel? Pound cake. Well specifically pound cake in Los Angeles. We know we know. You're confused already. Let us explain. Whenever we go to L.A. we try really hard to sunny ourselves up. We mesh well with the East Coast. So when we head out west we try to leave the black behind and bring out the color. And we gussy ourselves up every single day. Goodness it’s exhausting. And then we go to Joan’s on Third. Stop laughing. We go to Joan’s for our iced tea and apple, and it just so happens to be World Nutella Day. Well guess what they’ve made for the special occasion. And we see those colorful, apple-eating Blue-Eyed’s fade away, replaced by the East Coast versions who want to eat as much of this glorious, Nutella-ribboned pound cake as humanly possible while wearing their stretchy black “workout” pants (also, who are we kidding, those are eating pants). So you see, pound cake in L.A. is just cruel. Nutella Swirl Pound Cake Makes 1 loaf Inspired by Joan’s on Third Print Recipe

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe Need a quick, easy, and delicious slow cooker meal? Well, look no further! We had this for dinner the other night and it instantly became a family favorite. I thought that the honey would make it super sweet, but it was the perfect amount of sweetness and flavor. It was a big hit with our kids and so easy to throw together- a winning combination in my book! Slow Cooker Honey Sesame ChickenRecipe adapted from: Baby Center Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too) Salt and pepper 1 cup honey 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup diced onion 1/4 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (could also use olive oil or canola oil) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional - doesn't really add heat, just adds more flavor) 4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water Sesame seeds Directions: Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. Looking for more Honey recipes?

The Macaroon Kiss Rather than "My Favorite Holiday Cookie", this post is probably more aptly titled "My All-time Favorite Cookie". My mom was given this recipe many, many moons ago, and while the source has long been forgotten, this cookie is unforgettable! It starts with a rich cream cheese and vanilla dough with just the slightest hint of fresh squeezed orange. The dough is coconut laden, and gets an extra roll in coconut before baking. I hope you'll try them! Macaroon Kiss Cookies Makes approx. 48 cookies For a printable recipe, click the "Print Friendly" icon at the end of this post. 2 1/2 cups All purpose flour 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon table salt 2/3 cups butter, softened 6 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 egg yolks 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon juice from a fresh orange 10 cups sweetened flaked coconut, divided in to 6 cup and 4 cup portions 1 bag Hershey Kisses (48 pieces) Step 4: Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake | alexandra's kitchen I swear buttermilk is magic. I’ve dwelled on this before. Buttermilk seems to turn everything to gold. Super-moist, super-delicious gold. Anyway, I needed a simple, summery, breakfasty, cake-like-but-not-dessert-like recipe to make this morning. Nobody. Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake Ingredients ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature 2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon 7/8 cup* + 1 tablespoon sugar** 1 egg, room temperature 1 tsp. vanilla 2 cups flour (set aside 1/4 cup of this to toss with the blueberries) 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. kosher salt 2 cups fresh blueberries ½ cup buttermilk**** 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons** This 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top*** To make homemade buttermilk, place 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Instructions Preheat the oven to 350ºF. copyright alexandra\'s kitchen

Lemon Crinkle Cookies I went to the gym yesterday evening. Anyone else ever done that before? Worst decision EVER. Oh, and just to clear things up, I’m not 4 months pregnant. I think we all can agree that I am a lemon freak. Run, don’t walk to your kitchen. Lemon Crinkles Won a fun little contest with these babies! Yield: 2-3 dozen Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 10 min Total Time: 30 min Ingredients: ½ cups Butter, Softened 1 cup Granulated Sugar ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract 1 whole Egg 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice ¼ teaspoons Salt ¼ teaspoons Baking Powder ⅛ teaspoons Baking Soda 1-½ cup All-purpose Flour ½ cups Powdered Sugar Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. *If using a non stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes. Lauren's Latest original recipe!

Chicken Bundles, Chicken Overs Chicken bundles are delicious dough pockets filled with cream cheese, sesame seeds and more. This recipe is crazy popular (thanks gals!), so you'll definitely want to read through the comments for additional ideas. I made them exactly as the recipe reads, and we loved it! Ingredients for Chicken Bundles 4 oz. cream cheese, softened1-13 oz. can chicken (or equivalent cooked chicken, rotitsserie chicken, etc)1 Tbs. sesame seeds1/4 tsp. parsley2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls - leave in fridge until ready to use! Directions: Combine the above ingredients (minus the crescent rolls) and mix well. Open two packages crescent rolls. Pinch the seams closed and pat each one out into a larger square. Put a spoonful of chicken/cream cheese mixture into the center of each square. Repeat with all 8 rectangles. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Thanks Leticia, from Rotan, TX for the recipe. Top of Chicken Bundles Homepage

very PINteresting {desserts} i don’t know about you but pinterest has been such an amazing tool for me! as in innkeeper i’m always picking up breakfast ideas, unique bedroom design ideas, beautiful garden spaces and the list goes on! if you are not one of the 240,000+ people that follow my pins already you can find all my pin boards here. i thought i’d share some of my most recent dessert pins. even though i’m on a little ‘new years diet’, you can guarantee i’ll be making some of these as soon as the situation arises! if your planning a party, you can send my invitation to my little inn. i’ll bring dessert. No Bake Banana Split Pie <-- click link for recipe.Love it cause it’s ‘no bake’, love it more because it’s delicious! nutella crack pie <-- click link for recipe.yep this looks freaking amazing. nutella = awesome Lemon-Blackberry Cheesecake <-- click link for recipe. This is healthy right? Lemon Blueberry Muffins <-- click link for recipe.Blueberry Cupcakes with Lemon Curd and Lemon Buttercream Salads Porches Muffins

Grilled Island Chicken Let’s welcome in the weekend with perhaps one of the simplest and most delicious chicken recipes I’ve tried in awhile. Marinaded in a flavorful concoction of lemon, oregano, soy sauce and garlic, this recipe is similar to the tasty lemon and garlic grilled chicken that I have waxed poetic about in the past. The difference with the Island Chicken is that it is a bit more subtle on the robust fresh lemon juice and garlic flavors which allows the soy sauce and oregano to really shine, as well. After marinating, I grilled the chicken and don’t know if I’ll try it any other way now (the original recipe states to bake). One Year Ago: Samoas BarsAlso One Year Ago: Raspberry Lime Rickey Ingredients 1/3 cup vegetable oil 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1-2 lemons) 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce 1 clove garlic, finely minced ½ teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2-4 chicken breasts Directions Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Annie’s Eats

Mocha Peppermint Cupcakes Aren't these pedestals beautiful?! I adore all the Rosanna Pedestals from Layla Grayce (My favorite home decor site!) I'll get to Layla Grayce very soon... 'Tis the season when peppermint takes center stage and I've been in overdrive making new recipes like my peppermint patties, and my peppermint mocha. Although I couldn't resist creating one last holiday peppermint dessert, and this one is extra tasty!! Instead of a simple peppermint chocolate cupcake with butter cream frosting, I decided to step it up with peppermint infused buttercream and a gooey ganache topping. Using my basic vanilla frosting recipe, I added pure peppermint extract and powdered peppermint flakes, which really boosted the pepperminty goodness! I used a 1M tip to frost the cupcakes, and a spoon to gently drizzle the ganache over the top of the frosting. Layla Grayce has gorgeous rustic shabby chic home, baby and bedding decor. 1. *Separate comments need to be left for each entry, or they will not be counted* 2. 9.

The Real Bundt And A Giveaway! (CLOSED) This was an insanely decadent chocolate cake. Not only was it rich, but it was a big honkin' cake. This cake was made in my new 60th Anniversary Bundt Cake Pan from NordicWare available through William-Sonoma. I have a couple bundt type pans and they work well but I've always wanted a real NordicWare Bundt- I just love the sharpness of the detail in the pans. Actually I got this pan for Christmas but it had a few flaws in the finish from the factory and I had to wait til the store had more for me to exchange it. Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake from Williams-Sonoma Printer Friendly Version For the cake: 1 cup cocoa powder, sifted, plus more for dusting pan7 1/2 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped1 cup boiling water2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour1 1/2 tsp. baking soda1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt20 Tbsp. (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter2 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar5 eggs, lightly beaten4 tsp. vanilla extract1 1/2 cups sour cream1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips For the ganache:

Creamy Lemon {or Lime!} Bars This is a twist on the classic lemon bar, and it’s more of a little lemon cheesecakebar. I much prefer it to the traditional lemon bar.Heck, I think the addition of any type of cream or cheese improves just about any recipe!They are super easy to whip up and to me, with their bright lemony flavor, they just scream spring time.They’re fresh and light but taste sinful at the same time.They make a great ending to a simple meal, or a perfect treat for a party or gathering. These are always a hit at potlucks! Honestly, I think this is possibly my favorite bar cookie crust, ever. It starts with Nilla wafers. So pop some of those nom nom’s in a food processor, or if you don’t have a food processor you can put them in a ziplock bag and smash away with something heavy. A lot of crusts are comprised of simply cookie crumbs and butter, but this one has some dry ingredients added to it, like flour and sugar. Next you’ll need to cut in some butter. Great with lemon, or lime! Creamy Lemon {or Lime!}

Eat Skinny Be Skinny: Easy Peasy Skillet Lasagna Before we begin, I have to share the cutest flipping photograph of my little pooch. I mean, his face, I just…want to kiss it all the time. I sometimes think there is no better start to the morning than a cute puppy face. So CUTE! Okay, let’s move onto food. Sure, it’s not as pretty as stacked lagasna made with vibrant vegetables, but guys, trust me when I say this, it’s JUST as savory, creamy, decadent and delicious. If not more. In addition to being oh-so-yummy, this skillet lasagna is lighter than most, completely vegetarian AND has only 7 Weight Watchers Points Plus points! Plus, wine has 4 points, so you know that’s being calculated in there too. So when I find meals like this that are SO mouth-watering you are thinking “and here’s another 6 pounds” with each bite for LESS THAN 8 points per hearty cup? Maybe someday I’ll let you all be privy to my dance moves. Serves 4Prep time: 10 minutesCook time: >10 minutes Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers One Pot cookbook. Ingredients: Directions:

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars I took a week off of blogging and baking to celebrate a dear friends engagement and my birthday. It seems celebrations tend to extend for an entire week, or at least ours do! What better to bake then lemon blueberry cheesecake bars, after a week long of celebrations!! When I came across this recipe I almost fell to the floor. These were the perfect after school snack for the first day of school! When it was pick up time my daughter came running to me and said "Moooooom!! Ah, the simplicity and excitement of being a 4 year old! The excitement of 3rd year privileges was short lived once I told her about the delicious treats waiting at home. Just a content, happy, hungry child! Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake BarsIngredientsFor Base: Butter, for greasing 2 tablespoon sugar 1/8 tablespoon ground cinnamon 9 graham crackers 1/2 stick unsalted butter, meltedFor the Filling: 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 2 eggs 2 lemons, zested and juiced 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

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