Category Archives: cooking

No Mess Frosting Idea

cooking, Cupcakes, Desserts, Gift ideas, Tutorials, , , ,

I made these snowman cupcakes yesterday with a cute way to package them. But today I am going to show you how I made them…

I found this cupcake mix at the grocery store and I decided that I wanted to try them.  I made the cupcakes according to the directions, except I added applesauce instead of the oil. (a weight watchers tip that I use all of the time!)  These cupcakes have a filling in the middle like a “Twinkie” and they are really pretty good, and they come in chocolate also!  This box makes 12 cupcakes, which was perfect for what I wanted.

After the cupcakes cooled I frosted them using this super duper idea I found on pinterest! You really need to take a look at this, because it is AMAZING!  The Mind-Blowing Cake Decorating Tip: how to have mess-free icing bags!  If you hate decorating with icing because of all the mess and clean up then this idea will totally change your way of thinking!

Mind-Blowing Cake Decorating Tip

After I frosted the cupcakes I used orange slices for the nose, (Cut in half) and chocolate chips for the mouth and eyes.  I was going to dip the cupcakes in edible white glitter before putting the faces on, but I totally spaced it.  But they are really cute with the glitter!

Here is my little family of snow people!

Look at how yummy these cupcakes are with the filling in the middle!

Then I put them in a clear 9 oz plastic cup and into a cellophane bag and tied them up.  They are fun for a  little gift to give to your friends, teachers, neighbors, or perhaps even for yourself!  You need a treat every now and again, right?

 

Zuppa Toscana Soup

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I hope that you are all having a great week with your families and friends.  I started putting away most of my Christmas decorations and all I have left is to take down two trees!  I know some of you are saying, just what exactly have you taken down then, but I had decorations is my kitchen, family room, bedroom, front hall and living room!  It feels so good to start cleaning it all up and organizing a bit.  I have decided that I have to clean out my clothes closet before I can hang up anything new in there, so that is really quite a challenge, since I have not gone through my closet  and really dejunked for a couple of years!  But the new year is always a good time to organize and start fresh, so that is my goal!  I am going to do one rod, shelf and drawer at a time so it is not too overwhelming!

 Are you tired of all the Christmas food yet?  I know I am ready to go back to the good old homemade soups and salads, etc.  Here is a recipe I found  for a Copycat Zuppa Toscana and then I adapted it to make it more the way that I thought it should be.  :)  This is a great hearty soup that is so good for you!  It is a meal in and of itself and all I added was a butterflake roll to make the meal complete.

Here is the recipe:

Zuppa Toscana Soup

4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb mild Italian sausage

2 large russet potatoes, sliced in half, then cut in ¼ inch slices

1 large onion, chopped

½ cup real bacon bits

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups kale, chopped

2 cans chicken broth-14.5 oz

1 quart water

1 cup whipping cream or half & half

Directions:

  1.  Brown sausage and drain off the oil.
  2. Place the onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water and garlic in a pot.  Cook on medium heat until the potatoes are done.
  3. Add the sausage and bacon bits and salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
  5. Turn to low heat and add kale and cream.
  6. Heat through and serve.
  7. Can garnish with more chopped kale and course ground pepper.

Famous Mint Brownies

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We had a couple of birthdays last week in our family and one of the recipients requested these instead of Birthday cake!  They are so moist and full of flavor that they are hard to resist!

They also have an entire pound of butter in them, so they had better be good!  I feel like I am the Pioneer Woman when I make these!  Which by the way, is where I found this recipe a couple of years ago, at Tasty Kitchen, which is a sister site to the Pioneer Woman.  I hope that you can make some of these sometime.  These wonderful brownies look and taste professional. But they are so easy to make. Bake them today and share them with your friends. They may make you famous!

Famous Mint Brownies (tastykitchen.com)

Ingredients

  • FOR THE BROWNIES:
  • 1 cup Melted Butter
  • ½ cups Cocoa Powder
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 4 whole Eggs Beaten
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • ½ teaspoons Salt
  • 1-½ cup Flour
  • _____
  • FOR THE MINT FROSTING:
  • ½ cups Butter, Softened
  • 2 Tablespoons Milk
  • 2 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Peppermint Extract
  • 5 drops Green Food Coloring
  • _____
  • FOR THE GANACHE TOPPING:
  • ½ cups Butter
  • 1-½ cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Note: Increasing amounts to 1 1/2 times the original amounts will yield a baker’s half sheet (large cookie sheet) of brownies, to make 4 dozen brownies.

For the brownies, whisk together melted butter and cocoa powder. Then add sugar, beaten eggs, vanilla, and salt. Mix well and then add sifted flour. Stir in by hand. Do not over mix.

Pour into a 9×13 pan sprayed with cooking spray. If making 1 1/2 recipe, pour into a baker’s half sheet (large cookie sheet).

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes. Cool for a few minutes and then place in the freezer for 20 minutes.

While brownies are in the freezer make the first layer of topping. Mix the mint frosting ingredients thoroughly. Evenly frost brownies and put back in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Make the chocolate ganache top layer. Melt the butter and chocolate and whisk together. (I melt them together in a Pyrex measuring bowl in the microwave for one minute. Be careful not to overheat. It won’t look melted but once whisked, it will.)

Drizzle warm chocolate over brownies and spread smooth with a spatula. Put back in the freezer for another 20 minutes.

I think that these would also be great with red food coloring for the holidays!

 

English Toffee

Christmas, cooking, Gift ideas, Recipes, Tutorials, , , , , , ,

Ok, so this is the last candy post, at least for this week! :)  I am starting to feel the sugar high a little bit too much.  I started making this candy at 7:30 am and my husband was wondering what in the world I was doing and I just replied, “Oh, I’m just working on my blog!”  He just shook his head!

This candy is just the right combination of chocolate, nuts, and toffee.  I am also having the hardest time staying out of it, it is probably one of my favorite candies!

So let’s make English Toffee today!

Start by lining a cookie sheet with foil and then butter the foil.  Spread 1 cup chopped nuts on the cookie sheet.  ( I used pecans, but you can use whatever you have)

Mix 1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, 3 TLBS water, and 1 tsp vanilla.  Put in a kettle and bring to a boil.

 Reduce heat to medium and stir constantly until mixture is light brown in color and crack stage has been reached (300-310 degrees on candy thermometer) If you want to know how to test for crack stage, go to the Anise Candy post.

 Spread cooked candy thin over nuts.

Sprinkle 11.5 oz package of chocolate chips on top. ( I used milk chocolate, but semi-sweet would be good also, totally your preference!)

When melted, spread over all of the toffee.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped nuts on top of chocolate and press down into the chocolate with your fingers.

Break into pieces and enjoy!  This is another candy that is great to give as gifts, to fill a candy dish with, or just make for a treat for yourself!

Here’s the recipe:

English Toffee

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

3 TBLS water

1 tsp vanilla

Combine in a kettle and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and stir constantly until mixture is light brown in color and crack stage has been reached (300-310 degrees on candy thermometer)

1 1/2 cups chopped nuts

11.5 oz package chocolate chips

 Place buttered foil on cookie sheet and spread with 1 cup of the chopped nuts. Spread cooked candy thin over nuts. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Let melt and spread over entire candy. Add remaining 1/2 cup chopped nuts on top. (I pressed them down with my fingers into the chocolate)

Break into pieces when cool. Enjoy!

Anise Candy

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Today’s candy is a very old recipe that I remember my mom making for Christmas.  I have not made it for years, but ran across the recipe the other day and decided in honor of my mother that I would make this!  It is a hard tack candy that you could actually use to make suckers with, but I just made it the way my mom used to.  For those of you who do not know what Anise is, it is a black licorice type flavor.

So let’s make some Anise Candy!  First you are going to put 3 cups sugar, 1 cup corn syrup and 1/2 cup water in a large kettle.  Bring to a boil.

You will let it boil to the hard crack stage.  To test if it is at the hard crack stage, drizzle a small amount of the candy into a bowl of cold water, like this.

When the candy come out hard and brittle, it is at the crack stage,  if it is soft and pliable you need to keep boiling it until you reach the crack stage.  I tested my about 3 times, until I got it to where I wanted it.  If you have a candy thermometer, you could also use that, you need to reach 300-310 degrees F, but I am showing you the good old fashioned way to test it! :)

When it gets to crack stage, add 1/2 tsp red food coloring and 1/2 tsp anise oil.

Pour out onto a buttered cookie sheet  and let cool just a bit. (sorry about the flash spots in this picture, but the candy is so shiny that it just kept reflecting)

When slightly set, mark off in squares.  (I actually do not remember my mother doing this, I remember her just using the handle of a butter knife and breaking it into pieces, but I have this step written in my recipe, so I tried it!)

After it has cooled off, break into pieces.  Maybe this is why my mom just broke it with the handle of the knife, because it just kind of breaks into pieces!  But it looks so pretty!

Put all those pieces into a bowl and look at how festive they are.  They are also fun to add to plates of cookies or fudge etc to just add some bright color!

Here is the recipe:

Anise Candy

3 cups sugar

1 cup white syrup

1/2 cup water

Put in kettle and bring to a boil.  Cook to crack stage.

add: 1/2 tsp red food coloring

1/2 tsp anise oil

Mix and pour into buttered cookie sheet.  When slightly set, mark off in squares.  Cool and then break into pieces.

Truffles!

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I have a sweet friend, Deea, who started her blog, Sprinkle Some Sunshine, about the same time that I started mine.  It is a cooking blog and she has some really great recipes!  I got both of these recipes from her!   These would be great for gifts, party treats, dinner place settings, or just as a snack! This first one is called Snowball Truffles.  It is white chocolate and coconut and they are so delicious…like Heaven…I’m in Heaven!  Go here for the recipe and a great tutorial on how to make them!

These next ones are Peanut Butter Balls.  They are just as good as a peanut butter cup!  These are two of my favorite flavors…peanut butter and chocolate.  I think I have made some variations of these every year for Christmas.  But these are so good and they are really easy to make and they look so festive with the sprinkles on top!

Go here for the recipe and tutorial on how to make them.  Leave Deea a comment and tell her how much you love these recipes.  She will love it!I am still busy this week, cooking, shopping, wrapping, and trying to get everything ready for this weekend, so we can celebrate with our married kids.  But I did spend the morning crafting and then lunch with friends.  I have so much to be thankful for when it comes to great friends!  I think that I have the best!

Are you ready for Christmas?  It is going to be here before we know it!

Texas Sheet Cake

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We had two parties last weekend and I had to take a dessert to one of them for a big crowd, so I made a big pan of Texas Sheet Cake. It is a very moist, cake and you add the frosting while the cake is still warm to keep it that way.

This recipe comes from my husband’s Aunt Krista, and I think that she gave it to me at one of my bridal showers!  (So it is really old!)  I love the hint of cinnamon with the chocolate, it gives it such a good flavor. I also love that I usually have all the ingredients on hand for this cake and I don’t have to go to the store for anything!

Texas Sheet Cake

1 cup margarine

1 cup water

1/4 cup cocoa

Put in small kettle and heat until margarine is melted and it comes to a boil.  Put  flour in mixing bowl and  pour melted mixture over the flour and mix then add the sugar.

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

Add:

1 tsp soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

Beat all together.  Put in a greased and floured 11 x 16″ pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup margarine

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup cocoa

Mix in kettle, stir and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and stir in:

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup nuts, chopped.

Let it cool slightly and frost warm cake.  Enjoy!

Doesn’t this look like a party?

Fudge, Fudge, Call the Judge!

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Am I showing my age, by the title?  How many of you remember, as a child, jumping the rope to that chant?  How many remember even jump roping as a child?   Oh, the good ol’ days.

Today this recipe comes from my special friend, Susan.  She is my exercise partner, my lunch friend, my sounding board, and my personal gardening expert! What more could a girl want?

This recipe is very rich and creamy, and I have made it many times and not once has it ever gone sugary!  It makes a big batch,( 2 pans full) which is perfect for gift giving! Are you ready to make some?

Susan’s Fudge

4 ½ cups sugar

12 oz. canned milk

Boil for 10 minutes, stirring constantly so it does not scorch!

3 bags of chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate, but you could use semi-sweet)

7 oz. jar marshmallow cream

½ lb butter

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Chopped nuts, if desired (I used about 1 ½ cups)

Add hot mixture and mix till dough consistency or 10 minutes in Bosch mixer.  Pour into 2 buttered 9 x13 pans.  Let cool.  This recipe freezes well.

You could add some candy canes and gumball to decorate.  Wrap in cellophane and tie with a big bow, or you could put them in Chinese take out cartons, etc.  I will have some fun ideas you can do with the take out cartons.

Are you ready to go make some yummy fudge?  This is so great, because you can get it all made up and put it in the freezer before your holidays get too much more hectic, and all you have to do is pull it out and let it thaw a bit and you are good to go! (Sometimes, I must I admit, I can’t wait that long!) This is a perfect gift for neighbors, Visiting Teaching, co-workers, friends and your family!

Salted Caramel Butter Bars

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How many of you did the Black Friday thing?  I do not do that anymore, but my daughter did and I have to tell you what happened to her!  She decided to meet up with one of her friends and they decided to meet at Wally World at 10:00 pm.  My daughter left her home at a little after 9:00 pm to drive about 15 mins away.  (She wanted to get there a little bit early.)  She pulled onto the freeway and looked up ahead and the traffic was stopped!  There was a 4 car pile-up wreck, and the freeway was totally blocked!  It took her almost an hour and a half to go 15-20 miles!  Needless to say she did not get very much of what she had set out to get, because she was 1/2 hour late.  (Oh how I do not miss those days!)  They then went to Kohl’s for the midnight opening and the line was clear down around the store, but at least she got the things that she wanted in there!  She got home at about 1 am and went to bed for a couple of hours and then got up and ordered some more things online!  Oh my! What we as mothers don’t do for our little beloved children!  Boy am I glad that all of my little beloveds are grown and I can just go to bed at night!
So here is a recipe for all of you that did the Black Friday thing and need to reward yourself just a little bit.  One word of warning, these are very, very rich but very, very yummy!
My daughter made these and brought them for Thanksgiving.

Salted Caramel Butter Bars

For the Crust:
1 lb. salted butter room temp
1 cup sugar
1½ cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs vanilla
4 cups all purpose flour
For the Filling:
1 bag 14 oz. caramel candies (about 50 individual caramels), unwrapped or 14 oz Peters   caramel
1/3 cup milk or cream
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 T. coarse sea salt (optional)
To make the crust:
In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugars. Using mixer on medium speed, beat together until creamy. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Sift the flour into the butter mixture and beat on low speed until a smooth soft dough forms.
Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Press one-third of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust.
Preheat to 325F.
Bake until firm and the edges are a pale golden brown approx 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool about 15 minutes.
While the bottom crust is baking and the remaining dough is chilling, make the caramel filling. Place the unwrapped caramels in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the cream. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth. If caramels are not completely melted, microwave on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth.
Pour the caramel filling over the crust.  If you are going to salt the caramel sprinkle it on caramel layer now.
Remove the remaining chilled dough from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the caramel.
Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25 – 30 minutes.
Let cool before cutting into squares
When I make these I  just use 14 oz of the  Peters caramel, then you do not have to unwrap all the individual caramels. I am lazy that way!)
Have a great weekend!

Thanksgiving Rolls

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I am so “Thankful” that I found this new recipe.  If any of you out there have been assigned to bring rolls to your Thanksgiving dinner, or any other dinner for that matter, and you know that it is going to be a hectic day, you just might want to take a look at this recipe!  It is a make ahead dough that you freeze and then just take them out the day you want to use them and let them thaw and rise for a few hours and then bake them!  They are so light and fluffy and you can have the great homemade taste on the day you want them without having the preparation that day!

Please pass the honey!

The recipe is found here, at Jamie Cooks It Up! It is called Butterflake Frozen Roll Dough.  She has a great tutorial and you can print the recipe there.

I may have just found a new favorite roll recipe!  I love the fact that they taste so good and you can make them ahead of time!