Strawberry Cream Cake

What's a birthday without a cake? Again Kyle went through the options on Cook's Illustrated listing them to me and this one sounded suuuuuuper yummy (and it did not disappoint!). 

Strawberry Cream Cake

Recipe came from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 1/4 Cups Cake Flour (5 Ounces)

1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Table Salt

1 Cup Sugar (7 Ounces)

5 Large Eggs (2 Whole and 3 Separated), room temperature

6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 Tablespoons Water

2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Strawberry Filling:

2 Pounds Fresh Strawberries (medium or large, about 2 Quarts), washed, dried, and stemmed

4-6 Tablespoons Sugar

2 Tablespoons Kirsch

Pinch of Table Salt

Whipped Cream:

8 Ounces Cream Cheese, room temperature

1/2 Cup Sugar (3 1/2 Ounces)

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/8 Teaspoon Table Salt

2 Cups Heavy Cream

Instructions:

1.FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour round 9x2-inch cake pan or 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and all but 3 tablespoons sugar in mixing bowl. Whish in 2 whole eggs and 3 yolks (reserving whites), butter, water, and vanilla; whisk until smooth. 

2. In clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat remaining 3 eggs whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. With machine running, gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form, 60 to 90 seconds. Stir one-third of whites into batter to lighten; add remaining whites and gently fold into batter, until no white streaks remain. Pour batter in prepared pan and bake until toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert cake onto greased wire rack; peal off and discard parchment. Invert cake again; cool completely, about 2 hours. 

3. FOR THE STRAWBERRY FILLING: Halve 24 of best-looking berries and reserve. Quarter remaining berries; toss with 4 to 6 tablespoons sugar (depending on sweetness of berries) in medium bowl and let sit 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Strain juices from berries and reserve (you should have about 1/2 cup). In workbowl of food processor fitted with metal blade, give macerated berries five 1-second pulses (you should have about 1 1/2 cups). In small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer reserved juices and Kirsch until syrupy and reduced to about 3 tablespoons, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour reduced syrup over macerated berries, add pinch of salt, and toss to combine. Set aside until cake is cooled. 

4. FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM: When cake has cooled, place cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whisk at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Reduce speed to low and add heavy cream in slow, steady stream; when almost fully combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture holds stiff peaks, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes more, scraping bowl as needed (you should have about 4 1/2 cups). 

5. TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Using large serrated knife, slice cake into three even layers. Place bottom layer on cardboard round or cake plate and arrange ring of 20 strawberry halves, cut sides down and stem ends facing out, around perimeter of cake layer. Pour one half of pureed berry mixture (about 3/4 cup) in center, then spread to cover any exposed cake. Gently spread about one-third of whipped cream (about 1 1/2 cups) over berry layer, leaving 1/2-inch border from edge. Place middle cake layer on top and press down gently (whipped cream layer should become flush with cake edge). Repeat with 20 additional strawberry halves, remaining berry mixture, and half of remaining whipped cream; gently press last cake layer on top. Spread remaining whipped cream over top; decorate with remaining cut strawberries. Serve, or chill for up to 4 hours. 

Foolproof Spaghetti Carbonara

Kyle happened to be in town for my birthday and offered to make dinner. He and I browsed through Cook's Illustrated quickly and found a recipe that sounded good. This is the one we landed on- with bacon, egg, pasta, and cheese where can you go wrong? It was delicious! It was a good thing too that Kyle had made a double batch because there was none left over at the end. 

Foolproof Spaghetti Carbonara

Recipe came from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:

8 Slices Bacon, cut in 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 Cup Water

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 1/2 Ounces Pecorino Romano, grated (1 1/4 cups)

3 Large Eggs plus 1 Large Yolk

1 Teaspoon Pepper

1 Pound Spaghetti

1 Teaspoon Salt

Instructions:

1. Bring bacon and water to simmer in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat; cook until water evaporates and bacon begins to sizzle. about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until fat renders and bacon browns, 5 to 8 minutes longer. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Strain bacon mixture through fine mesh strainer set in bowl. Set aside bacon mixture. Measure out 1 tablespoon fat and place in medium bowl. Whisk Pecorino, eggs and yolk, and pepper into fat until combined. 

*It's important to work quickly in steps 2 and 3. The heat from the cooking water and the hot spaghetti will "cook" the sauce only if used immediately. 

2. Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Set colander in large bowl. Add spaghetti and salt to pot: cook, stirring frequently, until al dente. Drain spaghetti in colander set in bowl. reserving cooking water. Pour 1 cup cooking water into liquid measuring cup and discard remainder. Return spaghetti to now-empty bowl. 

3. Slowly whisk 1/2 cup reserved cooking water into Pecorino mixture. Gradually pour Pecorino mixture over spaghetti, tossing to coat. Add bacon mixture and toss to combine. Let spaghetti rest, tossing frequently, until suace has thickened slightly and coats spaghetti, 2 to 4 minutes, adjusting consistency with remaining reserved cooking water if needed. Serve immediately. 

Fluffy Peanut Butter Pie

I grew up with this pie and love it, my mom was making it tonight for a group of ladies and I was reading the recipe and discovered that it came from my Aunt Linette (which I didn't know), this was always a favorite of ours growing up! It's super easy and comes together quickly which is always a plus and most things you should usually have on hand so if you need a quick dessert this is good. (Please excuse the terrible picture, I had to snap it quickly with my phone before it was eaten).

Fluffy Peanut Butter Pie

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter (or Chunky)
8 ounces Cream Cheese, softned
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup Milk
9 ounces Cool Whip, thawed
1-9 inch Graham Cracker Pie Crust
1/4 cup Finely Chopped Peanuts (optional)

Whip Cream Cheese until soft and fluffy. Beat in Peanut Butter and Sugar. Slowly add Milk. Blending thoroughly into mixture. Fold Cool Whip into mixture. Pour into prepared Crust. Sprinkle with Chopped Nuts (optional). Freeze until firm and serve.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Pudding Cookies

After looking for weeks to find the Jell-o Pumpkin Spice Pudding Mix I was finally able to make these cookies that I've had in my list for probably closer to months. These cookies were really good but I was a little disappointed in that they didn't have a really strong pumpkin flavor like I was hoping but after talking to a coworker today I did realize these are labeled as pumpkin spice and not pumpkin so it's the spices that go into pumpkin pie and not the actual pumpkin, I'm thinking that next time I will just try snickerdoodle cookies with some pumpkin mixed in them. They are still really good and the double batch that I made Sunday is already completely gone (not bad for me being sick on Monday and not taking them to anyone). 

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Pudding Cookies

Recipe Came From Chef In Training

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Pudding Cookies

Ingredients

• ¾ cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 (3.4 oz) box pumpkin spice instant pudding mix
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. cream of tartar
• 2 to 2¼ cups flour

CINNAMON-SUGAR COATING

• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Stir together flour, cream of tartar and baking soda and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugars and pudding mix together.
4. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
5. Add flour mixture slowly until well incorporated.
6. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon to form CINNAMON SUGAR COATING.
7. Roll Pumpkin Pudding Cookies into 1″ balls. Next roll into cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat outer surface of ball entirely. Place on a greased cookie sheet and repeat for remaining dough. (12 cookies per baking sheet)
8. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-12 minutes.

Creamy Tomato Basil and Creamy Cauliflower Soup

In the past if you had told me that I should make a soup with cauliflower I would have laughed in your face and told you that you were crazy if you thought it was even going to happen, but happen it did! I've always been pretty picky about my tomato soups as well so I was a little nervous about trying this recipe all together but I LOVE Zupas Tomato Basil and the last couple of times I've had them add a ladle of their Wisconsin Cauliflower and I thought they made a good combination. So I decided to be brave and try it, besides that I burned a little cheese on the bottom of the pan because I had it simmering a little too hot it was delicious! I felt like it wasn't too much work either, I was able to work on other things at the same time. Oh I almost forgot to mention! This is on the "healthier" side as well because it uses the cauliflower and Greek Yogurt to make it creamy rather than using half and half, heavy cream, or something similar.

Creamy Tomato Basil and Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Recipe Came From Sweet Treats and More

 Creamy Tomato Basil and Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

1. 1/2 of a head of a large cauliflower, chopped (or one whole small cauliflower)
2. 2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes
3. 32 oz chicken stock
4. 1 cup greek yogurt
5. 2 tbsp butter
6. 1/2 onion, chopped
7. 1 tbsp minced garlic
8. 1/3 cup chopped basil
9. 5 oz shredded asiago cheese (or any cheese really)
10. Reduced fat sour cream

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot, melt butter. Add onions and garlic and saute 3-5 minutes or until translucent.
2. Add chopped cauliflower and saute another 2-3 minutes. Add chicken stock (should cover cauliflower). Let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.
3. Add cans of diced tomatoes, chopped basil basil, and greek yogurt. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until creamy and there are no lumps. (You can also pour the soup into a blender in two batches, and blend until smooth. Then pour back into the pot.)
5. Once blended add 5 ounces asiago cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for another 15-20 minutes, stir to combine melted cheese.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

A couple of weeks ago I was in the mood to make cupcakes, I think I partially wanted to try out piping some more but I also wanted to try doing something a little different with the frosting. I had some of the raspberry filling left over from making Alexia's Birthday Cake and was wondering if it would be good mixed into the frosting. It was a huge success! I had leftovers and didn't want in the house so it took to work for the Halloween party and then my boss took the rest home, she told me that her husband loved my frosting and her daughter even commented on it the next day. I had never thought about flavoring cream cheese frosting before but now I'm excited to try other variations. I used the cream cheese frosting from the Melt In Your Mouth Pumpkin Cookies.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe Came From The Girl Who Ate Everything

Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter

1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 lb powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 cups)

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Raspberry Cake Filling (to taste)

Melt In Your Mouth Pumpkin Cookies

These cookies are soooooo good! I may or may not have made two batches in two days :) (the first one I ran out of time and made them without frosting so then of course I had to try another batch WITH frosting when the cookies were already all gone). I love that they are soft and they aren't over-kill sweet even with the frosting (and even better they are still good a several days later, if they make it that long :D). 

Melt In Your Mouth Pumpkin Cookies

Recipe Came From The Girl Who Ate Everything

Melt In Your Mouth Pumpkin Cookies

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 4 cups all-purpose flour 
Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 lb powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 cups)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ground cinnamon sprinkled on top (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat 2 cups butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in pumpkin. Add the flour slowly until combined. Dough will be very wet.
2. Drop dough by the tablespoon onto parchment lined sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are set. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.
3. For the frosting: Beat all of the ingredients until soft and whipped. Frost cooled cookies and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Notes

Note: These have a very mild pumpkin spice flavor. If you like a lot of spice double the cinnamon and nutmeg in the dough.

WASC Cake

I got this recipe from Brea and I honestly have no clue where she got it from. This recipe is great because it uses a cake mix as it's base but then you are adding additional stuff so that A. It no longer tastes like a boxed cake mix and B. It makes it go further so you have some slightly larger cakes. 

WASC Cake 

1 Box Cake Mix

1 Cup Flour

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

Generous Dash of Salt

1 Cup Sour Cream

1 Cup Water

3 Whole Eggs

1 Tablespoon Flavoring

Instructions:

1. In bowl mix together dry ingredients. 

2. In mixer bowl place next 4 ingredients and mix for 2 minutes. 

3. Pour into prepared pans and bake as usual. 

*ANY cake flavor can be used

*You can use milk, juice, thawed frozen concentrates, soda (ie Coke), cream or just about anything wet for the liquid. 

*This recipe is based on mixing in a kitchenaid mixer. I use position #1 to stir it, then #4 to mix the batter.

*Makes 10 sq.: 1-9x13, 1-8" round and 2-6" rounds, 2-8" rounds, 1-12" round, and other combinations of pans. 

*I prefer to bake at 300 degrees for about 20-30 minutes then turn oven up to 325 for equal time.

*The flavoring I most often use is this mixture: 1 part Vanilla Flavoring, 1/2 part Butter Flavoring, 1/4 part.Almond Flavoring.

Morning Glory Muffins

When I first saw this recipe they sounded amazing! They had lots of good things inside (whole wheat flour, pineapple, coconut, zucchini, carrots, etc.) and I was excited to try them. They were really good but I almost felt like they had too many things in them so that the flavors kind of weren't noticeable. A week or so after I had made these I went to the Saturday Market in Salt Lake and one of the stands was a bakery, they were selling another version of Morning Glory Muffins, these ones had Bran in them and not all of the items in them that these had had and they were soooo much better, so maybe I just need to find a good bran muffin that I like. 

Morning Glory Muffins

Recipe came from My Baking Addiction

Morning Glory Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated zucchini
1 medium tart apple, peeled and grated
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/3 pecans; coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and kosher salt. Whisk the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined.
3. In another bowl, combine the eggs, applesauce, vegetable oil and vanilla. Stir in carrots, zucchini, apple, pineapple, coconut and pecans.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined, but do not overmix.
5. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Notes:

- No whole wheat flour? No problem, simply sub in all-purpose
- I always use kosher salt when baking; however, feel free to substitute table salt.
- Feel free to substitute unsweetened applesauce and/or coconut in this recipe.
- These muffins are best served the same day; however, they will keep overnight in an airtight container.

Root Beer Float Cake

Kayla started not drinking soda (and I've since joined as well) but was really craving root beer so when I saw this recipe using root beer extract without the carbonation (which I think is really what she was trying to avoid) I wanted to make it for her to help satisfy her missing the root beer. The cake and frosting didn't really have a strong root beer flavor to me so I added more root beer extract to the frosting then was called for, it definitely made a difference! I liked how moist this cake was but it was a little over the top sweet for me. 

Root Beer Float Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe from Reluctant Entertainer

Root Beer Float Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package white cake mix (18.25 ounces)
• 1 cup root beer
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. root beer extract (McCormicks)
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 tsp. root beer extract (McCormicks)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, root beer, water, oil, extract, and eggs. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes or stir by hand for 3 minutes.

Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool completely on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and extracts. Gradually fold in the powdered sugar.

Beat until soft peaks form. Frost the cooled cake. Store in a refrigerator before serving.

Chocolate Cake Cage

Libbey asked me to make Alexia's birthday cake this year, she requested something girly. I wanted to d something different, I had an idea in my head so I started googling to help the image in my head develop into something real. I had googled chocolate flourishes when THIS came up, I knew immediately had to try it, I think that with time and more practice it will become better but I think that it turned out pretty good!

Chocolate Cake Cage 

Recipe/Instructions came from Doughmesstic

Chocolate Cake Cake

Gooey S'mores Cookie

This is the second new recipe that I tried yesterday. I absolutely did not like them at first and I was semi tempted to just throw them out. I went out of the house for a couple of hours, when I got home I tried them again and they tasted better. They still aren't really my favorite but I made a double batch of cookies and they are disappeared so everyone else must have been a fan of them :D I think part of why they weren't my favorite is because although I love all of the parts that go into s'more I don't really like actual s'mores put together. I loved that this lady talked about using cinnamon graham crackers rather than normal graham crackers, it gave a great taste. 

Gooey S'mores Cookies

Recipe came from Kevin and Amanda

Gooey S'mores Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Butter, softened

1/2 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 1/3 cups Flour

3/4 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs (7 full graham cracker sheets)

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 cup Mini Hershey's Kisses (or Chocolate Chips/Chunks)

1 cup Jet Puffed Mallow Bits

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes. 

Meanwhile, use a food processor or blender to crush 7 graham cracker sheets into 3/4 cup fine crumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. Add the chocolate and marshmallows and stir to combine. 

Place 1.5 tablespoon sized scoops of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. 

Makes 2 dozen cookies. 

Butterscotch M&M Pudding Cookies

These cookies are really soft, I like the butterscotch flavor but it's still something that is growing on me. I made two new kinds of cookies yesterday and this one definitely came out on top of the other kind. This has a good mixture of chocolate, butterscotch and softness. 

Butterscotch M&M Pudding Cookies

Recipe came from Inside BruCrew Life

Butterscotch M&M Pudding Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Butter, softened

3/4 cup Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 1/4 cups Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 box Instant Butterscotch Pudding Mix (3.4oz)

1 1/4 cups Mini M&M Candies

1 cup Butterscotch Chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again. 

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and pudding mix. Slowly add to the butter mixture. Stir in the candy and butterscotch chips by hand. 

3. Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-9 minutes. Do not over bake! Leave on the cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes before removing to a wax paper lined counter. Let cool completely. Makes 40 cookies. Store in a sealed container on the counter. 

Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookie Bar

I've had this recipe on my list to make for a few weeks. When I read my list to Kayla she immediately zoned in on this one and wanted me to make it, I thought that I was out of caramel so I wasn't able to make it right away. I made this recipe and did not bring it right away to work (for which I got in trouble for :D). I brought it Friday morning and Derek immediately ate 3 or 4 pieces, he told me that it was the best thing that I have every , another employee told me that this brought me "this" much closer to being an angel again, plus I received several other positive reviews. I hadn't realized until I started making the recipe that it contained peanut butter and wasn't sure if Kayla was actually going to like it, luckily the peanut butter doesn't actually have that much of a flavor (so you could add more or take it away based on if you like peanut butter or not). These are super soft and gooey, best if they are kept in a cool area as they get even messier to eat when it is warm. 

Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookie Bars

Recipe came from Mom on Timeout

Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookie Bars

INGREDIENTS

   Caramel Filling

      11 oz. bag Vanilla Caramels

      14 oz. can Sweetened Condensed Milk

      4 Tbls. Butter

   Cookie Dough

      1 1/2 sticks Unsalted Butter

      2 cups Light Brown Sugar

      1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

      2 Eggs, room temperature

      1 Tbls. Vanilla

      2 cups Flour

      1 cup Old Fashioned Oats

      2 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

      1/4 tsp. Salt

      2 cups Chocolate Chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment paper. 

3. Unwrap caramels and place in a small saucepan with butter and sweetened condensed milk.

4. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramels have fully melted and the mixture is nice and smooth. 

5. Cream butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add peanut butter and continue mixing. 

6. Add eggs one a time, mixing well after each egg. Add in vanilla. 

7. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in a small mixing bowl. 

8. Add the flour mixture slowly stirring until well combined. 

9. Stir in the chocolate chips. 

10. Spread 2/3 of the dough on the bottom of the pan. 

11. Slowly pour caramel mixture evenly over the dough. 

12. Drop the remaining dough on top by the teaspoon. It doesn't have to be perfect!

13. Bake for about 30 minutes. Let cool completely and then cut into bars. 

Cinnamon Roll Cake

This was a delicious find. I don't think that it really tasted like a cinnamon roll, but it was still super yummy and wasn't very hard to make at all! 

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Recipe Came From Chef In Training

Cinnamon Roll Cake

INGREDIENTS

3 Cups flour

1/4 tsp. Salt

1 cup Sugar

4 tsp. Baking Powder

1 1/2 cups Milk

2 Eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

1/2 cup Butter, melted

TOPPING

1 cup Butter, softened

1 cup Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp. Flour

1 Tbsp. Cinnamon

GLAZE

2 cups Powdered Sugar

5 Tbsp. Milk

1 tsp. Vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 glass baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In an electric or stand mixer add the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined well , slowly stir in the melted butter. Pour into the prepared 9×13 baking pan.

For topping

1. In a large bowl mix the 2 sticks of butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together until well combined and creamy. Drop evenly over the batter by the tablespoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.
2. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out nearly clean.

FOR GLAZE

1. In a medium bowl, mix the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla together with a whisk. Drizzle evenly over the warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

White Chocolate Brownies

Derek had made a request that I make some kind of white chocolate brownie, I had to clarify with him that he didn't want a blondie. I had never heard of a white chocolate brownie before so I started googling to see what I could find, I sent him about 7 different recipes asking which one he wanted me to try, this is the one that he picked for me to try. I'm not 100% sure where the blogger comes from because half of the recipe is metric and half of the recipe is in US measurements. I thought it was a little interesting that they were cooked in "patty cake" pans or in the muffin pans that I did. The consensus was that they tasted like a thick soft cookie, they were good but didn't have the texture or taste of a brownie. 

White Chocolate Brownies

Recipe came from One and Only Chocolate Chic

White Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

125g butter, chopped

250g white chocolate chips

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 eggs, lightly beaten,

1 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted

2 cups chocolate chips, see recipes below for other suggestions

TIP:

I have used two patty cake pans with a 1/4 cup (water) capacity. Generously spray with non-stick baking spray or line with paper cases. Larger muffin pans can be used just be aware that you will make less brownies and need to bake them a little longer.

Method:

The oven should be preheated to 160oC (325oF)

In a medium size microwave safe bowl heat the chopped butter on high for 30 seconds. Stir then repeat for another 30 seconds, the butter should be melted. Add the white chocolate and heat for another 30 seconds. Remove and stir until blended. You may need a further 20 seconds. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly so that you do not cook the eggs when you add them.

Add the brown sugar and the beaten eggs. Stir through.

Add the sifted flour and stir through until smooth.

Divide the brownie batter evenly into the patty cake pans. Using a small ice cream scoop makes this quick and easy.

Evenly divide the chocolate chips and press lightly into the top of the batter. Don’t be surprised by how many there are I have been very generous but then again I really love rich chocolate brownies. The reason I do not mix the chocolate chips into the batter is that this way you can instantly see what type of brownie you are eating increasing their WOW! factor.

Bake in a preheated oven set to 160oC (325oF) for 22 minutes.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing to a cake rack to cool completely. If you have not use paper liners take great care, I usually use a flat knife to help lift them out.

Store in an airtight container for one week. The white chocolate brownies can be frozen for up to two months.

Makes 24 brownies

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

I wanted to make something but had no clue what to make so I texted Kayla and she threw out apple muffins so I just started googling and this recipe popped up, I was hooked just looking at the pictures and loved the idea that it was whole wheat an included yogurt. These muffins were AMAZING! I am super in love with how moist they are and they feel healthier because of the whole wheat, I used greek vanilla yogurt which I think increased the flavor. 

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

Recipe came from Smitten Kitchen

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed, divided

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup buttermilk or yogurt

2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease and flour 18 muffin cups and set aside. 

Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in the buttermilk gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.) Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks. 

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on top. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400 degrees, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

Chocolate Rolo Cookies

Derek gave me a cookbook for Christmas (Chocolate Never Faileth) and I've been meaning to try something from it. A few weeks ago Kayla was over and we were talking and I decided to start looking for something new to try, I was listing names to Kayla of suggestions and she jumped on this one. These cookies were awesome but a little more work than I really wanted to put into cookies all of the time. I will probably make these again but they most likely wont be ones that I make all of the time. 

Chocolate Rolo Cookies

Recipe came from Chocolate Never Faileth

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 sticks butter

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

3 cups flour (see note)

3/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

40-50 rolo candies, unwrapped (one standard bag of rolos)

Preheat oven to 375. Grease cookie sheets. Cream sugar, brown sugar, and butter. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add flour (see Note below), cocoa, and baking soda. Mix until well combined. Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky to work with your hands. Pinch off walnut-sized balls of dough and wrap a piece of dough around each Rolo. Place on cookie sheets a couple of inches apart. Bake 7-9 minutes, until the cookie is set but the top is still soft to the touch. Don't overcook, or the caramel will get hard. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for about five minutes before transferring them to the wire racks; doing that will allow the cookie bottoms to set up and will prevent caramel from oozing out. 

Note: Josi uses 2 1/2 cups flour. Maybe because of humidity, that little flour resulted in such sticky dough that it was totally unworkable for me. I had to add another 1/2 cup. Use as much flour as you need to result in a workable dough. 

Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

I was searching for something else online and I started reading in the comments section, this lady posted this and I thought they sounded delicious. I had to wait forever to for these raspberry tidbits to come in the mail but as soon as they did I made them. If you've ever tried the raspberry cheesecake cookies from subway these taste like them but better! I ordered lots of the raspberry tidbits to make it worth the shipping costs so I will be make more of these soon (and trying more things also--I saw another comment about mixing them into brownie mix so will possibly try that soon).

Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup white granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 dram Lorann cheesecake flavor oil

Cream together the above ingredients, then add:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Mix well, then stir in:

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

1 cup raspberry tidbits

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then drop tablespoonfuls of cookie dough about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Allow to cool on pans for a minute, then move to wire racks. 

Butterscotch, White Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found this recipe that the lady originally used one batch of dough to make it into 3 different types of cookies. (3 Cookies, 1 Dough) I thought the cookies looked good, soft and chewy, just the way I like my cookies. I kind of made a combination of two of her recipes (or basically just throwing different kinds of chips that I had in my house) and put butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, and regular chocolate chips in; I was a little nervous about the butterscotch chips and if they were going to be too overpowering but everyone told me that they loved them and that I should try doing it without the regular chocolate chips (I did that too and it was a big hit). I love that this recipe is so versatile with different kinds of chocolate and that it continues to be delicious, this is definitely becoming a favorite. 

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Recipe came from Dana Made It

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup butter (don't use margarine)

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

5 1/4 to 5 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 bags chocolate chips (12 oz. bags) 

There are three key points in this recipe.

1. Use shortening and butter. I know some of you are going to replace the shortening with butter, and I won't hold it against you. But the shortening is what gives the cookie a slight crispiness around the edges while still feeling soft inside. 

So, start by mixing the shortening and butter with white and brown sugar. Add the three eggs and vanilla and here's the second key point...

2. Mix the butter/egg mixture for a full THREE minutes. The time is important for the eggs and butter to become fully whipped and to develop new chemistry. You'll watch the buttery mix go from gushy liquid to beautiful cream. 

In a seperate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together (flour, baking soda, and salt). Add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix. Then add the other 1/2 and mix. And finally...

3. Use a lot of good chocolate chips and mix semi-sweet with milk chips. Some recipes call for one bag of chocolate chips. This recipe is large so we're using 2 bags. But sometimes I throw in 2 1/2!

Use a small cookie scoop to make 15 uniform balls on an ungreased cookie sheet (do NOT use a non-stick pan-the cookies won't bake as evenly). 

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes or just until the cookies are slightly golden on top. If you wait till the cookies are entirely golden on the outside, its too late. They'll be overcooked. You want them to be soft inside. Allow them to cool for a few minutes and transfer to a cooking rack, though they may not make it that far. 

Cookies and Cream Oreo Blondies

These Blondies are super yummy! They are best when they first come out of the oven, warm, ooey, gooey yumminess (you can rewarm them later and they are still super good or not warm too!). 

Cookies and Cream Oreo Blondies

Recipe came from Six Sisters Stuff

Cookies and Cream Oreo Blondies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips, milk or semi sweet

1 cup white chocolate chips

16 oreo cookies, broken into pieces

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl cream together butter, brown sugar and sugar. Then add eggs and vanilla. Stir until well blended. Add in pudding and mix until light and fluffy. 

2. Then add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until it is mixed in well. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, white chips, and oreo pieces. 

3. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. I used a glass pan. Pour batter into the pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes. You do not want to overbake. Cook until the center is set, but still gooey.