Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake

Found this recipe here The Family Kitchen and am in love with it. very quick and easy... makes a single serving.. perfect for sharing with a loved one.. a little bit of whip cream or ice cream and it is double Perfect! I followed the recipe,  took one and a half minutes in my microwave.. and then I also sprinkled a few chocolate chips on top.

Rhubarb Filled Cookies

Grandmas are a child's best friend... at least my grandma was when I was growing up. I miss my grandma a lot... this time of year is always the hardest... memories of working in the garden and the yard with her and baking.... she made the best rhubarb cookies. Dad says this is not the same as her recipe... but it is close enough for me that it  brings back so many wonderful memories of being young and carefree and playing at grandmas.

Rhubarb Filled Cookies Recipes

Ingredients For: Rhubarb Filled Cookies Recipes
1/2-cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2-teaspoon salt
1-tablespoon milk
1-teaspoon vanilla

Filling For: Rhubarb Filled Cookies Recipes
3 cups rhubarb, chopped
1/4-cup water
1 cup granulated sugar

Instructions For: Rhubarb Filled Cookies Recipes
Mix filling ingredients and cook until soft. Set aside and chill.

To prepare Dough: Cream butter, add sugar and cream together well. Beat eggs and add to this mixture.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mix alternating with milk and vanilla.
Chill dough.
On floured board, roll out dough 1/2" thick. Using a 2" cutter, cut out cookies .
Place cookies on a greased or sprayed cookie sheet.
Cover dough with a teaspoon of filling. Top with another cookie and press edges together with tines of a floured fork.
Bake rhubarb filled cookies recipes in 400°F oven for 10 minutes.

*these grow when you bake them so make them small :)

Apple Pie.. in an Apple

Saw this today while cruising around looking for something and I can not wait to make them.. Great post HERE on the how to and with lots more amazing photos they took.

Desserts on a Stick

Someone I know is getting married and we were talking about the food that will be there.. one thing that was thrown out there was a dessert bar.. and maybe some things on a stick.. so I am going to gather up some ideas and will share them here so we will all have a place to refer back to.

All photos are from the website that will be linked right below them with the recipe or how to.


Pie Pop from Bakerella

Wedding Cake Pops from Bakerella

Popcorn balls on a stick from Dine and Dash

Smores pops from yummly.com (I am hanging onto my desk top so I do not go make these right now!!)

Rice Krispies on a Stick

Rock Candy on a Stick from sciencebob.com ( I am not going to volunteer to make this one for the wedding but I know someone with three boys who might like to give it a try some day for themselves just for fun )

Chocolate dipped pretzels from Java CupCake

Ok this is all I can handle right now.. lol I am staving.. I know I will be looking for more ideas and would LOVE if you have any please share them in the comments so I can get them added here. ~Thanks

Someone else had this idea too... check out their blog post with lots of amazing ideas

Elizabeth Anne Designs

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

Old fashioned soft pumpkin cookie recipe. I have been making these at least once a year for as long as I can remember and they are a super easy cookie that everyone seems to love. They are soft almost like a pumpkin bread. We love to eat them with a dab of cool whip to dip them in. In the picture I made a cinnamon glaze.. just a little bit of butter and some powdered sugar with vanilla and cinnamon.. mixed with a little bit of water until thin then drizzled over.

Mix together and set aside

2.5 cups of flour
1tsp baking soda
1tsp baking powder
1tsp cinnamon
.5 tsp nutmeg
.5 tsp salt

Cinnamon and nutmeg are to flavor.. I add at least twice that amount


Mix in a large bowl

1.5 cups sugar
.5 cup of butter ( 1 stick )
1 cup pumpkin
1 large egg
1tsp of vanilla

Mix dry ingredidants into wet and stir well... drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheet and bake about 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees.

I always make at least a double batch and most the time I triple it.

Peanut Butter Brownies

This post will take me longer to write than making these brownies took.. Problem is.. I keep having to stop to sneak a bite. These are everything wonderful about brownies, chocolate and Peanut Butter! So soft and chewy and flavorful. I found this recipe on the best baking site I know of... Java CupCakes, this is the 4th recipe I have tried from there and the 4th that I have Loved! ( 3 of them are peanut butter and chocolate combos..hmmm) I changed the recipe up just a little bit... so be sure and check hers out as it is a little different and looks oh so wonderful, with maybe a bit more chocolate in it *hint*



1 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter ( I used freshly ground honey roasted from BelleWoodsAcres* )
1 large egg
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cups all-purpose flour
dash salt

I mixed this up and spread it in a square baking pan (this is a half recipe.. a full one does a 9x13 pan) Baked at 325 for about 30 - 40 minutes until they were just starting to turn a light brown, took them out and let them cool.

You would then need to make up some ganache, or be like me and keep some in the fridge at all times and just scoop some out and warm it up slightly. One I got this recipe from javacupcake I have had some in the house since.

For ganache
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Put chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) in a heatproof bowl.
Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate chips and let mixture stand for one minute.
Gently whisk in butter until it is incorporated, chocolate is melted, and a smooth mixture forms

Spread this on top of the cooled brownies.. and then sprinkle with crushed peanuts if you would like.

BelleWood Acres is a local (lynden, Wa)apple farm that has the best apples and peanut butter ever. When you are lucky you can pick up their stuff at a local Haggens ( grocery store ) that my son and a good friend works at.... as soon as it comes in they both are bringing me some :) *love you guys*

~Michelle

Victoria Sponge

When visiting my mother in law, who is from England, I noticed this book on her shelf and while flipping through it saw a recipe for the cake I have been looking for, Victoria Sponge that sounds wonderful. I borrowed the book and was going to type out the recipe on here so I could find it later ( when I have a bit of time to make it ) I got to looking for some links to the book online and found a wonderful link that shares recipes and so much more that I just had to share the site.

Taste the World & Celebrate the Joy of Afternoon Tea
With Margaret M Johnson

Victoria Sponge

Cake:

1 cup of butter (room temp)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
4 large eggs
2 cups self rising flour

Filling:
5 Tablespoons butter (room temp)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of confectioner's sugar (plus some for dusting)
2 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/2 cup strawberry jam

preheat oven to 325. Spray a 9 inch round pan with cooking oil. Dust with flour.
In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, salt, lemon zest. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk in flour until smooth.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack.

To make the filling Beat the butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the 1 1/2 cups sugar a little at a time. Beat in the milk and continue to beat until light and fluffy.

Invert the cake onto a serving plate, then turn it upright. Cut it in half horizontally and spread the bottom half with the jam. Spread the filling over the jam and place the top half of the cake on it cut side down. Lightly sift confectioners' sugar over the top. Cover and refrigerate the cake for 1 hour before serving. Garnish with fresh strawberries if desired.

This will be the recipe I will be trying. I will also be making some sort of a mocha frosting for the top of half of it as that is what Dave remembers his mom serving it with and it is a childhood memory I hope to recreate for him.

~Michelle

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies in Candy Cane Sprinkles

This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe... well one of them! This one is really easy and always taste great.

Mix together

1/2 cup ( one cube ) softened butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla *you could add a little dash of peppermint too if you wanted*
1 egg

add in
2 2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

I put it in the fridge for a little bit ( while I get the sprinkles ready ) just to make it a little easier to handle.

Today I took a half dozen candy canes and put them in the food processor until they were just short of a powder. I then added a little bit of red sugar sprinkles for color. I poured some onto a plate to roll the cookies in.

I took the dough from the fridge and made small balls ( they will almost double ) with it which I then pressed into the sprinkles, flattening with my fingers. This covers one side and leaves the bottom sprinkle free, I like the way they cook this way. You could also drop by spoon onto the cookie sheet and then using the bottom of a glass you have dipped in the sprinkles to flatten the dough with.

Bake at 350 for about 7 minutes, you want to catch them just before they start to brown.

These are also great with Valentine sprinkles or just in plain sugar too :)

Today I made these for Valentines day... patted them out and used a heart shaped cookie cutter.... then tried the butter cream recipe from java cupcakes to frost them. They are so good! I am not used to decorating anything, having as many kids as I did it was about how many I could make and how fast.. they could eat them faster than I could cook them.. and they could care less what they looked like. So I need a bit more ( ok a lot more  ) practice with my decorating.

~Michelle

Victoria Sponge

Photo from this recipe Which I think will be the one I try if no one has one they have used.


Looking for a Victoria Sponge cake recipe. My honey grew up with this and loves it. I have found a couple online and may try one of them but would love if anyone has one they have used and great results with. Please put it in the comments if you have one.

Lenore's Lemon Jello Oops! Salad with Mandarin Oranges

Ingredients:
1 can mandarin oranges (approx 11 oz size)
1 small package lemon flavored gelatin (3 oz size)
3 oz cream cheese
1 cup plain yogurt


Instructions:
Drain the liquid from the can of mandarin oranges into a liquid measuring cup. Add water to reach the one cup level. Heat this mixture to the boiling point.

Pour the hot liquid into a mixing bowl containing the lemon gelatin and the 3 ounces of cream cheese. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

Let cool down a bit.

Stir in one cup plain yogurt.

Let chill for awhile.

Add the mandarin oranges, stir well, and transfer to a serving dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.


Lenore's notes:
This recipe got its name because I was in a hurry one day and I mixed up two different jello salad recipes from a church cookbook. The people I served it to really liked the results and wanted the recipe! We came up with a couple of different names for it and this was the most popular. You could also call it “Creamy Jello Delight”.

I usually double the recipe in order to serve eight people.

A friend of mine suggests that this recipe could be easily adapted for different flavours of gelatin and different types of fruit.

That suggestion made me think that maybe walnuts would be a fun and tasty addition.

I'm still not certain how long to let gelatin chill before adding the extra ingredients, so if anyone has any tips, please leave them in the comments!

~Lenore

Chewy Brownies

Melt 2 sticks of margarine, turn off heat;
add 2 cups of white (granulated) sugar, stir;
add 1/2 cup cocoa, stir;
add 4 beaten eggs (to which a small amount of hot mixture has been added), stir;
add 1 teaspoon vanilla
and a pinch of salt
and 1 cup of white flour, stir only till the flour is blended in;
pour into a greased pan;
bake at 350 degrees.

Time depends on size of pan and your oven. My original recipe states a 9x13 pan for approximately 25 minutes. My notes say 25 minutes minimum for a shallow pan and up to 45 minutes for a deeper pan.


I got this recipe from a college friend back in 1979 and haven't bothered with any other brownie recipe since trying this one -- yummy!

~Lenore

Cup Cakes

Cup Cakes, originally uploaded by Chelle_Ballard.

This week I found a wonderful site... all about cupcakes.. JavaCupcakes
I believe I found her because someone I follow on twitter was following her and talking to her.. anyway.. one click lead to another click and pretty soon it was hours into looking through her site... and loving it. Great info and pictures and ... recipes! I also spent some time visiting with her on her twitter and now follow her on facebook too. I love company's that interact with people on a personal level.. and who are just fun to talk with :)

Last night I tried two of the recipes on her site... I tried the rhubarb cupcakes and the peanut butter chocolate ones... both are 110% awesome. Only one problem.. trying to decide which one to have. She has a page just for the recipes and I look forward to trying many more.

~Michelle

Dump Cake

Grease a 9"x13" pan.

Dump in one can crushed pineapple (undrained).

Then dump in one can of blueberry (or cherry) pie filling.

Next dump in one box of yellow (or white) cake mix.

Chop up one stick of butter into little bits and scatter them on top.

Dump in one cup chopped nuts.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 50 minutes.


Lenore's notes:
I got this recipe from my sister-in-law who said it was the perfect last-minute dessert. You can keep most of the items in your pantry and just grab them when needed.

Later I found the very same recipe in a church cookbook, so I guess a lot of people already know about it.

The cans of pineapple and pie filling should be about the same size. I believe it's called a "number 2" size; it's anywhere from 14 to 20 ounces.

Spread the ingredients out as you dump them into the pan. It's fun to say "dump them in" but really you're layering all the ingredients.

I've found that different brands of cake mixes will give different flavors. My preference is to use one that claims to make a moist cake. I've had success with Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow cake mix.

I like to use walnuts for this cake. I'm not sure what other nuts might be good for this recipe. Also, I don't think that one cup of chopped nuts is enough for this recipe so I usually put in more.

I'm not sure how many servings you can get out of this. I've served it several times for eight people and there are usually leftovers.

It's good topped with ice cream!

~Lenore

Grandpas Ice Cream

Yesterday we were moving some things around in storage and the kids saw the old fashioned hand crank ice cream maker that my grandpa used to make the best ice cream in the world. They said they wanted to make some ice cream so we brought it home.

When we got home I had to go looking for a recipe... I have not made it as an adult... but I do have wonderful memories of helping grandpa make it. I went searching online for a recipe and after much reading and every one talking about the White Mountain recipe being the best.. I decided to give it a try. We all wanted to try different flavors.. but decided since it was our first time that we would go with the simple vanilla and add toppings. I made a grocery list and headed to the store.. picked up the supplies.. and just as a note.. it is a LOT cheaper to buy the ice cream already made!

We cooked up everything... we were all surprised to learn that ice cream is cooked.. we had seen some recipes for starting with things uncooked.. but read that it would not be as creamy.. so we went for cooked. While it was cooling in the fridge we had some dinner and played some games.. then got everything ready to go.

Pour the cooled mix into the inside bucket... put the machine together... load up with ice and pour some rock salt over it. We tried to stick as close as we could to the directions.. because there are warnings that if you add too much salt it will freeze to quickly... not enough it won't be creamy... to be honest.. I was a bit worried, but here we go.

Missy started the cranking... she did the first ten minutes... then Dave took over and did the next ten minutes.. we did check at about 15 minutes to see how it was going.. all seemed well... so John took over for the last 5 to 10 minutes... after the first 5 he could hardly crank anymore so we figured it was done... and... it was :) It was very soft.. so we put it in the freezer to harden up... which... we were not patient enough for so we had very soft ice cream.. but it was still very good.

I did add a little extra vanilla when I was cooking it... not so good.. not even sure why I did it.. but I will not next time. We forgot to check our ice supply and almost ran out... we just barely made it. Next time we will make it a day ahead of time and let it freeze over night in the freezer to firm up so it does not all melt before we are done eating it.

( enough fruit makes it healthy right? )

All in all it was a wonderful experience.. I was able to share some very fun memories of having ice cream at my grand parents with my family... and we were able to start a new set of memories here with our kids and maybe some day our grandkids :)

Peach Cobbler

My oldest son moved out last week.. and he had been hinting a few weeks ago about how long it has been since I had made any peach cobbler.... so today when he showed up to pick up a few things he had forgotten... I had a pan cooling on the stove for him.... He was so excited and I got the biggest hug :)

First I layer the peaches.. or any fruit... in the bottom of an 8x8 baking pan

8x8... lol yeah right... we always double it and make a 9x13...at least

Then sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon on... how much depends on the fruit and how sweet you want it.

Set that aside and mix up the topping.

This part is from the Fannie Farmer cookbook that I grew up cooking from and love more than anything.

Cottage pudding for an 8x8 pan

1.5 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar

mix that together well then mix in
1/4 pound of very soft butter.

mix until it is crumbly looking.. then form a bowl in the mixture.. into the bowl put
1/2 cup of milk
1 egg
mix those two things together until the egg is well beaten then mix into the dough

drop by big spoon fulls onto the fruit... does not need to be even or "nice looking"


bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until the top is just starting to brown and the tooth pick poked in the middle comes out clean.

after it has baked and cooled slightly.... be warned.. the fruit will be hotter than the cake.... you can cut or scoop some out.. flip it over so the fruit is on top.. and enjoy it as is.. or with a little cream.

I love this recipe because of all the things you can do with it.. you can make just the cottage pudding cake.. eat it by itself.. or you can use ANY kind of fruit... and you can use it with a LOT of fruit... a little fruit... mixed fruit... it is so good! I also love it because I grew up with mom making it.. and then her teaching me to make it and I made it for my kids and taught them how to make it... lots of memories when I make this cake and when we eat it. My kids have always called it Berry Cake!

Short Bread Thumb Print Cookies

Today a friend on facebook was making banana bread and I really felt the need to bake something... but... there were no bananas in the house.. so I decided to make some cookies... I have many different shortbread cookies that I make and today I made the thumb print ones (which I use the back of spoon and not a thumb to make the print with)

I could not decide what to put in the print on these so I did a couple of different ideas.

These have chocolate melted into the print with walnuts sprinkled on top


These have a homemade coffee frosting in them


These have the same coffee frosting with chocolate drizzled over the top


cookie recipe

1 cup soft butter
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix really well.. until it is almost like fluffy

mix together

2 cups flour ( all purpose )
1/4 tsp baking powder

then add to the butter mixture and mix well

roll into small balls.. size depends on size you want your cookies.
put a "thumb print" in each one.. I use the back of the teaspoon for this.

bake at 350 for about 8 minutes... you don't want the edges to start turning brown but you want the cookie to be firm enough to move.

For the chocolate ones... as soon as they came out of the oven I filled each print with about 4 or so chocolate chips then slipped the pan back in the oven for just a minute... pulled it out and used a toothpick to swirl the chocolate then sprinkled the nuts on top.

For the coffee ones I took them off the cookie sheet and then let them cool... when they were cooled I mixed up the frosting

soften two tablespoons of butter
add in about a cup of confectioners sugar
mix it really well and then add the coffee ( instant dissolved in a tablespoon of hot water.. or... I used the tea bag coffee and made one in an inch of coffee and made it really really strong. Don't add all the coffee to the frosting. You want it thick.

I spooned the frosting into the cookies... then I took a small dropper and in the center of each frosting pile I dropped a drop of the coffee...and swirled it with a tooth pick.. if one was talented they could make some really fun designs.. I am not there yet.

For adding the chocolate drizzle I just melted some chocolate chips or could use the almond bark in the microwave.. slowly and then scooped it into a sandwich bag.. cut a tiny hole in the end and squeezed it on there.




These all taste great...and people seem to love them.. they are not great for packing up and mailing or sending home with friends though.. so everyone has to come over for some :)

Michelle

PS thank you to Dave for the new camera.. I am having so much fun with it :)