Funnel Cake; My New Best Friend

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I'm not sure if you're ever had funnel cake before, but it's DELISH!

I've had it at festivals, and Disney World, and well, I can't get enough of it. We've made it a few times with friends, and I think it's even become a New Year's Day tradition.

SO, if you haven't tried it, it's a must.

Ingredients
2 cups milk
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) melted butter
Powdered sugar, for topping


Directions 
Combine milk, egg, vanilla in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar and gradually add to wet ingredients. Beat with a mixer until a smooth batter forms. Fold in melted butter. Pour batter into a funnel or squeeze bottle while using your index finger to stop the flow of the batter. Bring the funnel over the hot oil and release your finger to start a stream of batter while moving the funnel in a circular motion to create spiral-like shapes. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown and slightly puffed. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Adapted from here

Snowballs

Another great Snowball recipe. I can't believe I've never made these before! I think I'll give these a go as well for Christmas this year! Check out the recipe here.

Sparkling Lemon Snowballs

Don't these look amazing?! Yum!! I can't wait to try them. I think they're going on my Christmas baking list! Check out the recipe here!

Puppy Chow

I've come across a lot of people that don't even know what Puppy Chow is!!! I find that so crazy!!! SO I thought I'd post a little photo/link reminder or (for some) education! Check out the recipe here! I think once you've made it you'll forever be hooked!!

Link- Halloween Pizza

So cute right? I just thought I'd share this fun pizza with you.

Fudgy Candy Corn

Doesn't this look wonderful?! I just thought I'd share it with you. I can't wait to make it! Check out the recipe here!

Caramel Crispy Marshmallows

My mom used to always do this one with us over Christmas break when we were little, it was one of my favourites! I think I am going to do it with my husband this year when we have time off work over Christmas!

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. butter
1 bag (8 oz.) caramels
1 bag (10 1/2 oz.) large marshmallows
5 c. Rice Krispies
Melt caramels, butter and sweetened condensed milk in top of double boiler. Dip large marshmallows into mixture and roll in Rice Krispies.

Tip: Great frozen too!
Tip 2: Try mixing it all together to make a bar!

Have any good ideas, or substitutes for this....share them, leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!!

Baking My Way: Crisp & Chewy Molasses Cookies

These cookies are a lot like ginger snaps. I love ginger snaps but if I wanted to make them I would just make them,  I don't think I would make these.  I find it silly they don't just call them ginger snaps, but I guess there are a few different ingredients.  I just don't get why someone would create a recipe so similar. Well another recipe tried, moving on to more in the book!


INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger

DIRECTIONS
In large bowl, combine sugar and margarine; beat until light and fluffy. Add molasses and egg; blend well. Add all remaining ingredients; mix well. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes for easier handling.

On waxed paper, shape dough into roll 9 inches long. Wrap roll in waxed paper or plastic wrap; refrigerate 6 hours or until firm.

Heat oven to 375°F. Cut dough into 1/2-inch slices; cut each slice into quarters. Place slices 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 375°F. for 6 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets.

Candy Corn Cookie Bark

Doesn't this look amazing? I bought some candy corn the other day to bake with it and I'm sort of tempted to make this instead of my original choice!

Baking My Way: Molasses Jack-O-Lantern Cookies

These cookies are seriously tasty! If you bake them so they're still nice and soft they just melt in your mouth with that butter cream frosting. Oh, I'm so glad I'm bringing them to a party tonight because other wise I would just sit here and eat them all by myself!

Ingredients

Cookies
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons grated orange peal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cloves



Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 cups powdered sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons milk
3 drops red food color
6 drops yellow food color
4 drops green food color
Miniature chocolate chips
Gumdrops
Candy Corn

Directions to make Cookies

In large bowl, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add molasses and egg and blend well.
Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off. Stir in flour and remaining cookie ingredients and mix well.

Cover cookie dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours for easier handling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

On well-floured surface, roll half of dough to 1/8-inch thickness.

Cut with floured 3-inch pumpkin-shaped or round cookie cutter.

Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Repeat with remaining half of dough.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 6 to 9 minutes or until set.

Immediately remove cookies from sheets and place on wire rack to cool completely.

In small bowl, combine half of Buttery Icing, 3 drops red food color and 3 drops of yellow food color and blend well to make orange icing.

Divide remaining icing mixture in half and place in two small bowls.

Add 4 drops green food color to one bowl and remaining 3 drops yellow food color to second bowl and blend each bowl well to make green and yellow icing.

To decorate cookies, frost each cookie with orange icing.

Use green and yellow icings, chocolate chips, candy corn and gumdrops to make faces on the frosted cookies.


Directions to make Icing

In large bowl, beat butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and salt.

Beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, scraping down sides of bowl.

Add 2 tablespoons milk and beat at high speed until light and fluffy.

Add enough additional milk for desired spreading consistency.

(This is what the cookies look like in the book. I decided to do them my way...Mainly because I didn't want to go out and buy all the little candies and a cookie cutter just for this recipe. Maybe next year..Plus I already had those sprinkles, and who doesn't like sprinkles!)

Ginger Snaps

I’m taking part in a Christmas Baking Exchange this year with some other wives and some mom’s (we just get so domestic in those seasons of life!). I’m really excited about it and this recipe is the one I am using for my choice contribution. It’s a great recipe, easy to do, and practically fool proof!

Rating: I give these a 5 (1 being "I'll never bake them again" and 5 being "They are now one of my favorites")

2/3 cup Butter
1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Molasses (I always add a little more!)
1 Egg
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 cup Flour
1/2 tsp Cloves
1/2 tsp Ginger
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon

Mix all ingredients well. Roll into little balls and then roll them in sugar. Bake in 350 degree oven 10-12 minutes. And then Simply enjoy!

Tip: These cookies freeze great and are also great to do ginger bread men with!

Have any good ideas, or substitutes for this....share them, leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!!

Mother's Day Baking Take Two: Pina Colada Cheesecake

I decided I would do two different smaller cheese cakes instead of one big one to add a little more summer and a little more variety into the day. 

 Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1/2 cup cream of coconut
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 5 tablespoons light rum
• 2 teaspoons coconut extract 

 Glaze:

Whip cream and toasted coconut

Preparation

• Stir together first 4 ingredients, and press into bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a lightly greased 10-inch springform pan.
• Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pineapple and next 4 ingredients, beating until blended. Pour mixture into crust.
• Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack. Spread Glaze over top of cheesecake. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Garnish, if desired.

 Recipe adapted from My Recipes

I think I might do an addition glaze like this (before the whip cream and toasted coconut):



Pineapple Glaze:
1 cups crushed pineapple, fresh or canned
1/4 cup pineapple juice and/or rum
1/8 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

When both the cake and the glaze are only slightly warm, pour the glaze over the cake and smooth the top. 


If you're looking for some Pina Colada Cupcakes check out a great recipe for them over at Kimmy's Kitchen!!

I've shared these recipes at:
Making It with Allie
Thrilling Thursday
Strut Your Stuff Thursday
Creative Juice Thursday
Hookin' Up With House of Hepworths
Show Off Your Stuff Party
Delightfully Inspiring Thursday
Recipe Swap Thursdays
It's a Keeper Thursday
Full Plate Thursday

Mother's Day Dessert: Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

 

I've decided I'm going to make this for Mother's Day this year. We're going to have a BBQ and well, it's not exactly the dessert you'd have at a BBQ but this is my Mother-in-laws favorite dessert and I know my mom will love it so I'm going to give it a go! I'll be sure to post all about it and all the other great food we have! 

 

Ingredients (Recipe adapted from All Recipes)

• 1/2 (18 ounce) package vanilla sandwich cookies
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
• 1/8 cup butter, melted
• 1 pounds cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 vanilla beans, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
• 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and lightly butter a 6 inch spring-form pan.
2. Place the sandwich cookies into a plastic bag, and crush with a rolling pin. Pour the crumbs into a bowl, and mix with the scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean. Drizzle the crumbs with melted butter and stir to combine. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the spring-form pan, and set aside.
3. Place the softened cream cheese and sugar into the work bowl of an electric mixer, and beat for about 3 minutes on Medium speed, until the mixture is smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each egg before adding the next one. Add the scraped seeds of 2 vanilla beans, the vanilla extract, sour cream, and heavy cream, and beat on Medium-High speed for about 1 minute, until the mixture is blended and smooth.
4. Pour the mixture into the cookie crumb crust, leaving about 2 inches of space from the top of the pan for the cake to expand as it bakes.
5. Place a baking dish onto the bottom rack of the preheated oven, and fill it halfway with boiling water. Place the cheesecake onto the middle rack, above the pan of boiling water, and bake until a small knife inserted into the middle of the cheesecake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
6. Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake cool down inside the oven for 1 hour. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

I think I might try this crust and add this topping to it:

Topping:

2 cups sour cream 

1/4 cup sugar 

1 vanilla bean 

For topping: in a small bowl, combine sour cream and sugar. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the bowl, stirring well.

I think I might also make a Vanilla Bean Butter Cream Icing, you know add a little more decadence to this cake!

1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened (helpful hint: one stick of butter is 1/2 cup)
1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar (5 ounces)
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoons heavy cream

1. In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Using a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into butter and beat mixture at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds.

2. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully incorporated, about 30 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 20 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

(Recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)

I shared this recipe at:
Show & Tell Wednesdays 
Whatever Goes Wednesdays
Recipes I Can't Wait to Try
What's Cooking Wednesday
Wandering Wednesdays
Whatcha Makin' Wednesdays
Swing Into Spring

Joy of Desserts
Mangia Mondays
Made by you Mondays
Make a Food-e-Friend Mondays
A Marvelous Mess Monday

 

For Next Easter: Cadbury Cream Egg Cupcakes

Don't these look wonderful? I know Easter is long past now but I keep finding all these wonderful recipe I want to try next year!

Check out the recipe at My Baking Addiction

For Next Easter: Homemade Cadbury Eggs

Don't these look wonderful! I've put them on my list of things to try next Easter! 

Check out the recipe at Not Without Salt

Easter Hunt

 I decided it would be fun to do a little scavenger hunt in our new house. I love to do fun little things like this and who says you have to have kids to do them? I got some bunny ears, hid all the candy and waited for Marshall to get home. He was surprised (and being a candy/chocolate lover) and excited.

I did the usual "Hot....Cold....Warmer..." and it was a lot of fun. I thought he found everything then I remembered about the mini eggs. I saw where he had all checked and I was certain I had hidden it behind a pillow. We searched for another 10 minutes and finally I checked a place I had seen him check and they were there. I guess he just didn't look hard enough? Just glad to know there's no chocolate hiding somewhere waiting for Ollie to find it, that would be bad.

And the score in the end.

Easter Baking Goals

I decided that with all the baking I am doing through my Baking My Way Through project I wouldn't do any Easter baking. So I thought I would do a post instead of all the fun stuff I see out there. Maybe next year I'll try one or two of them. If you like any of these ideas click on the photo to get to the recipe.

Marshmallow Peanut Butter Square

I couldn't find this recipe in any of my books, or online under any name I tried. Finally I in listed facebook, asked on my “What’s on your mind?” area and sure enough 4 of my friends knew a recipe! (I love facebook for that; if I don’t know something all I have to do is ask and someone out there can help me, it’s great!) So in case you were in the same spot I was and couldn’t find a recipe, or you’ve never tried it before (you have to now, it’s amazing!) here you go! Enjoy!


2 pkg. butterscotch chips, or peanut butter chips
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter or margarine
4 cups miniature marshmallows (the colored ones are the best)

Place the first 3 ingredients into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1-1/2 minutes, then stir. Microwave for an additional 1-1/2 minutes. Continue at 30 second intervals until melted. Stirring in between each setting. Let cool a couple of minutes and add 4 cups marshmallows and stir well. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch pan and spread evenly. Let cool completely, then cut into squares.

Option: you could also do the melting in a double boiler, or just a pot if you don’t like doing things in a microwave

I shared this recipe at: