Sneaky treats!

I have a son who is a super picky eater. The only vegtable he will eat is raw carrots. I found this recipe from the book Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfield -
knowing that he likes Chocolate - I decided to give it a try.
It was a HUGE success!!

Chocolate Fondue

1 T. trans-fat-free margarine spread (I just used butter)

1/2 c. Avacado Puree

1/4 c. Carrot Puree

1 c. confectioners' sugar

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 t. pure vanilla extract

Sliced fruits, whole berries, or cherries for dipping

Melt the margarine over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add the avacado and carrot purees, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla, and whisk well until smooth. Serve warm, with fruit.

**A trick I learned while experimenting with sneaky nutrition is that for things like "carrot puree" I just use a jar of carrot baby food - it saves a lot of time.

Banana Cake

Yum! Is all I can say about this, Oh and it's an easy recipe!

Banana Cake

1 box yellow cake (follow directions on back)

2-3 RIPE mashed bananas

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cap full banana extract

Can be baked in any pan, I used a bunt pan for a pretty presentation. Then the top decided to stay in the pan so it didn't come up pretty but we glued it back together with a yummy cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

3 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 tsp.vanilla

A dash of banana extract

(I didn't want a thick layer of frosting on this so I added some milk to thin it to the consistency I needed)

S'mores

We had a family birthday party over the weekend and this is what I made:

You can find the original recipe here. I used a brownie mix - it turned out great. These are really rich - so 1 square is about all you can eat. But they are yummy!

S'more Bars

Crust:
14 whole graham cracker boards, crushed (2-1/4 cups crumbs)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted

Brownie:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter
3 eggs
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla

Topping:
1 jar (7.5 ounces) marshmallow cream (about 1-1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup mini chocolate kisses
3 whole graham cracker boards, broken up

1. Heat oven to 350° F.
2. Crust: Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and melted butter in a small bowl until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Transfer the crumb mixture to a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan; press crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan, pressing the crumbs evenly into the corners and along the sides of the pan. Refrigerate the crust until chilled and set.
3. Brownie: Combine the bittersweet chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe glass bowl or glass measuring cup. Heat chocolate mixture in a microwave oven on high until the chocolate and butter are melted, about 1 minute. Stir the chocolate mixture until smooth.
4. With a hand-held electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat together the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until well blended. Reduce the speed to medium. While continuing to beat, gradually add the melted chocolate-butter mixture to the egg mixture; beat until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the side of the bowl occasionally.
5. Stir the flour and salt into the egg mixture. Then stir in the vanilla until smooth. Scrape the brownie mixture into the crust-lined baking pan; smooth the top level with a rubber spatula.
6. Bake in 350° F oven for 30 minutes or until the top is smooth and the center is set when gently pressed with fingertip.
7. Topping: While the brownie layer is baking, whisk together the marshmallow cream and the milk in a small bowl until the mixture is well blended and smooth.
8. Pour the marshmallow topping mixture over the brownie layer in the pan. Spread or tilt the pan to level the topping and cover the brownie layer completely.
9. Sprinkle the mini chocolate kisses evenly over the marshmallow topping. Then scatter the crumbled graham crackers all over the top.
10. Bake in 350° F oven for 3 minutes or until the chocolate kisses are glossy and the marshmallow topping is set. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Kit Kats

My son is turning 3 tomorrow. He is not a big fan of cakes.
So what to make him for the special day?
He LOVES candy... especially Kit Kats.
I saw this creation online, on several sites, it is PERFECT for my son...

2 - 8 inch round cakes, frosted.
Press the Kit Kats into the side,
fill the 'bucket' with your favorite candy,
tie a ribbon... and you're done!!
My son will be on such a sugar high from the candy -
he'll ignore the cake completely.

He saw the cake today and said, 'Oh, a bucket for my candy!' :)

Hamburgers or Hot Dogs anyone?

When I saw these on Bakerella's site I knew I had to try and make them, and what better time to do that then for the 4th of July. Then I found the idea for the hot dogs on {this} site. They were both so fun to make, I only wish I had the brains to come up with the idea!
*One thing I found that just by cutting the cupcake in half made for a really tall burger so I cut the middle out of the cupcake so it wouldn't be so giant and an easier way to transport. And I bought a tube of red frosting then split up the can and colored half green and half yellow... red is just such a hard color to make in frosting.

The hot dogs were so fun to make! My sister loves the circus peanuts and I hate them but they were the perfect thing for the bun.
I cut up some green gummy bears for the relish. And I had a tub of caramel from a baking supply store that I put in the microwave for a few seconds and it was very easy to roll it into hotdog shapes

Then just for fun I made red white and blue cupcakes that the hotdogs were then placed on top.

Again I wish my brain would allow me to be this creative, but I did have a great time re-creating these cupcakes!!

Spring Cupcakes

Megan was asked to learn how to make these adorable cupcakes and teach them to our YWs last night. They are just too cute to eat!

Ingredients:

Cake Mix & ingredients on the box

Frosting

Large Marshmellows

Mint Leaf candies (find at Longs Drug)

Spring colored Sugars (regular consistency not large)

Gumdrops (find at Longs Drug)

Nonpareils (small little balls sold in cake decorating areas)

White sugar

Easter grass & small candies for decorations

1. Bake, cool and frost your cupcakes.

2. Take a large marshmellow and cut into 5 slices with sissors squishing it slightly as you cut so it looks like a petal.

3. Dip the cut sticky side of the marshmellow into the sugar leaving a white rim around each petal.

4. Take a mint leaf and slice it with a knife into 4 leafs. Dip the leafs that have been cut and do not have any sugars on it into regular white sugar.

5. Take a gum drop and slice off the very top to make it flat. Dip the sticky top just cut into the nonpareils.

6. Assembly your flower starting with the marshmellow leafs arranging 5 petals overlapping into a flower. Add two mint leaves carefully under the petals as you go or after. Add the gumdrop to the center and you are done!

Note: The marshmellows do harden so you might want to keep wrapped with cellophane and plan to deliver to a friend soon thereafter if they are a gift. Doiley's are a nice touch to hide the plate you are using.

Toffee Squares

This recipe came from a friend's blog. However, I can't find the original post. (I know it was there at some point in time!)

This recipe is so easy. It is a cross between toffee and cookies.... yummy!!

Toffee Squares

1 cup Butter
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg yolk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 cups Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
6 Hershey Milk Chocolate Bars

Beat butter, brown sugar, egg yolk and vanilla together until creamy. Slowly add flour and salt until well blended.

Bake at 325 for 13 minutes or until lightly browned. It will be soft, do not over bake.

Remove from oven and immediately place unwrapped chocolate bars on top of hot cookie base.
Let it stand a few minutes until chocolate is melted. Spread melted chocolate evenly to cover entire cookie base. Cut into squares after chocolate has cooled and set.

ENJOY!

Yummy Apple Crisp

This recipe is from the good ole' Betty Crocker cookbook. It was very easy and super YUMMY!

Apple Crisp

4 medium tart cooking apples, SLICED (I used Granny Smith)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I would probably do 1/4 tsp next time)

Heat oven to 375. Grease bottom and sides of 8x8 pan.

Spread apples in pan. Mix remaining ingredients; sprinkle over apples.

Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with fork. Serve warm with ice cream.

Christmas Toffee

I found this yummy (and SUPER easy) recipe for Christmas Toffee. The original recipe can be found here.

Pamela's Christmas Toffee

1 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup of your favorite nuts (optional)
1/2 package of chocolate chips

On the bottom of a 9x13 glass pan, spread a light coat of butter (or non-stick spray) and 1/4 cup of your favorite nuts. Optional - have a small bowl of ice water ready to test your toffee.

This recipe needs constant attention and stirring for about 10 minutes. In a heavy sauce pan, add butter and sugars - melt on high heat. Once the butter and sugars have melted and started to boil, the toffee will go through 4 stages.

Stage 1 - butter and sugars are melted, but not mixed. Keep stirring.
Stage 2 - butter and sugars are mixed and start to cook. Keep stirring.
Stage 3 - butter and sugars are bubbling. Keep stirring.
Stage 4 - butter and sugars change color, slightly (from light tan to dark tan). Toffee almost looks like taffy, it becomes smooth and not bubbly. Keep stirring and start to test for hard crack.

Hard Crack: take a small piece of toffee and when it hits ice cold water, it sizzles. This is whe the toffee is done.


****I just stirred until the mixture was no longer bubbling. If you wait too long, you will burn the toffee.****

Pour toffee into buttered 9x13 pan, do not spread or stir, just pour directly from saucepan. Sprinkle with your favorite chocolate chips on top, the hot toffee will melt the chips in a few minutes. With a spatula, spread the melted chips over the toffee and sprinkle with your favorite nuts.

Allow toffee to cool completely, break apart with a knife and ENJOY!!

Dump Truck Cake

Here's an easy birthday cake that the kids will love:

Bake a chocolate cake. While the cake is baking, mix up a large package of chocolate pudding and let set in the fridge.

While cake is still warm - crumble the cake. Set aside 1/2 c. of the crumbled cake to sprinkle on top when done. (Sorry picture wouldn't rotate for me)

Put golden Oreos and regular Oreos in a zip lock bag and crush with a rolling pin.

Mix Chocolate cake crumbs, pudding, crushed oreos, and gummy worms together to make "mud". Spoon into dump truck and onto "road". Sprinkle the top with remaining crumbs to make it look like fresh dirt.

We used a "shovel" to serve everyone.
Super easy and yummy!

Soft Ginger Snaps

(From Girls Night Out)

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (or 3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened--but, I like the oil better)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
granulated sugar for coating

In large mixing bowl beat oil, sugar, eggs and molasses together well. Sift dry ingredients and stir into butter mixture until blended. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350. Form into balls (I think it works better to make them kind of small). roll each ball in granulated sugar and bake on ungreased baking sheet for 6-8 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies will be puffy when removed from oven, but wil flatten as they cool. Tops will look cracked. Cool on rack.

YUMMY!!!!

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

1 1/2 - 2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
4 tablespoons white sugar
6 T butter, melted
1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
4 cups white chocolate chips (2 bags)
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 4 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan.

In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to boil, and continue boiling 5 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.

Preheat oven to 325 º In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth.

In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.


* The real recipe calls for just one bag of white chocloate chips, but we love white chocolate so I added more! And once the cake was cooled I added mini chocolate chips to the outer edge of the cake- YES I sat there and put them in one by one! Here is the original recipe, I just made a few changes to the one I made

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Food Network needs to be banned from my house! I found this recipe while flipping through channels and the Barefoot Contessa was making this, so I got up and had to start making them.

1 pound unsalted butter

1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate

6 extra-large eggs

3 tablespoons instant coffee granules

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.
Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the remaining 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the prepared sheet pan. Spoon the peanut butter over the top of the chocolate mixture and using a knife, swirl it through the chocolate mixture

Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes more or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into large squares.

** I did not use the coffee granules, and these would be even better with some frosting on top and a large glass of milk!

Nutty Caramel Cookie Tart

Watching the Food Network can be very bad, like this past Saturday I got caught up watching the Pillsbury Bake-Off and saw this recipe. So of course I had to try it. It didn't win the million dollars but it is still quite a tasty treat.

NUTTY CARAMEL COOKIE TART
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury(r) Create 'n Bake(r) refrigerated sugar cookies
1/3 cup Dry Roasted Peanuts
1/3 cup Caramel Ice Cream Topping
1/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1/4 cup white vanilla baking chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Press cookie dough evenly in bottom of ungreased 9-inch springform pan. (If dough is sticky, use floured fingers.) Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until light golden brown.
Meanwhile, place peanuts in resealable food storage plastic bag; seal bag. Crush peanuts with rolling pin or meat mallet; set aside.
In medium microwavable bowl, microwave caramel topping, peanut butter and cinnamon uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds or until hot and bubbly; stir well. Drizzle mixture evenly over partially baked crust. Sprinkle with peanut butter chips, vanilla baking chips and crushed peanuts.
Bake 12 to 18 minutes longer or until edges are golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Run sharp knife carefully around edge of tart to loosen; remove side of pan. To serve, cut tart into wedges. Store tightly covered at room temperature.



*I only had the white chocolate baking sqaures, so I used some white chocolate shavings, and then also added a few semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Cupcake Bites

Debra and I made these fun little cupcakes for the 4th of July. We found them on Bakerellas website (which is very awesome by the way) She was even on Martha Stewarts show, to promote her cupcakes she made. If you are interested in making them I suggest just visiting her website, she does a great step by step instruction. We did the easier version of the cupcakes, but she also did a cupcake pop that is way cute so here is the link for that one.

The cake with many names

This cake is usually known as the "Better than sex cake" But also has lots of other names and lots of different versions, this was how I made mine.

1 box devils food cake mix
caramel topping
heath candy bars
chocolate cool whip

Bake cake according to directions (I did add some of the toffee bits to the cake batter), let cool for a few minutes. Poke holes with fork all over the cake. Drizzle caramel topping over top (to your desired liking) so it starts to melt into the cake. Then I put it in the fridge to finish cooling.
Add cool whip to top of cake and top with heath toffee bits.
Oh so delicious!!


* I grabbed the bag of Heath Toffee pieces from the baking isle, and when i got home realized it only was the toffe bits, so I took about 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips and chopped those up and added it to the toffee pieces.

Trifle Dessert

Every Spring I have to have Trifle, so a couple of weeks ago I decided it was time to make it. Here are a few pictures of the final product.

YUMMY, is all I have to say, looking at these pictures. :)

It is super easy to make. This is my Mom's version of Trifle.

1 yellow cake mix
2 small instant puddings (vanilla, banana, whatever flavor you want)
2 large cartons of strawberries (you can cut up fresh strawberries with sugar and put them in it or you can use the frozen strawberries already in their syrup.)
Cool whip

Make the cake like normal and let it cool. Make the pudding like normal, too. Now all you have to do is put it together. Cut the cake into squares and then slice the squares in half and place the pieces in the bottom of your dish. After you have the bottom full of cake put some of the strawberries on top of the cake. You can be generous so your cake isn't too dry. Then you add some pudding and repeat the process. Top it with cool whip and let chill in the fridge for an hour or so.

Skookies

One of our favorite restaurants in S. California is BJ's, they have the best dessert called a Pizookie. Last year a company invented a similar item called a Skookie pan so you can make them yourself at home. Our awesome friend Katie got us it for Christmas, and we are just now getting around to using it. Basically it is just a cast iron skillet, and you add your favorite cookie dough and bake.

Tonight, Debra just used a Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix, popped them in a 350º oven for about 10 minutes. After taking them out of the oven while they are still hot, you top them with some good vanilla bean ice cream.... delicious!

Chocolate Banana Cake

½ c butter
1 ¼ c brown sugar
¼ c sugar
2 eggs
1 T water
½ c cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ t baking soda
¼ t salt
1 t baking powder
1 ½ c mashed, ripe bananas
½ t vanilla

Cream butter, sugars and water together. Add eggs one at a time. Beat thoroughly after each. Stir in all dry ingredients and add to the batter alternately with the mashed bananas; stir in vanilla. Pour into greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Bake in preheated 350º oven for 30-35 minutes, until cake test is done. Frost with your favorite frosting

* I used this cake recipe for the Sunflower Peeps cake- I tasted a little of it while I was leveling the cakes off- yummy.

Peeps Sunflower Cake

I found this in my magazine that I recently subscribed to, Taste of Home. This recipe was in the back and I knew I had to make it! Now I am not a peeps fan but they work out great in this recipe. Tonight is our Relief Society Birthday event and I signed up to bring a cake for August, so I figured this sunflower would be perfect...and easy!

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
2 cans (16 ounces each) chocolate frosting
19 yellow chick Peeps candies
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions: Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using two greased and waxed paper-lined 9-in. round baking pans. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely; carefully remove waxed paper.

Level tops of cakes. Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake.

Without separating Peeps and curving slightly to fit, arrange chicks around edge of cake for sunflower petals. For sunflower seeds, arrange chocolate chips in center of cake.

Yield: 12 servings.

* I use one can of frosting and it worked out perfect, if you want alot of frosting then get 2