
Saturday, December 25, 2010
White Chocolate Covered Peppermint Oreos

Friday, December 24, 2010
Pie Dough Cookies
Did you make my Pecan Pie yet?
Do you ever wonder what to do with the scraps of pie dough that are left over after you make your pie? When I made my Pecan Pie this week I wondered the exact same thing. I thought I would try turning them into little cookies and it worked out perfectly. All I did was roll out the scraps and used a small cookie cutter to cut out shapes. I then brushed them with some egg whites and sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 - 10 minutes. I liked them by themselves, but I think they would be delightful with a cup of tea or some coffee.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Pecan Pie
It is about time.
It is about time I posted this pie. You see, I have made this pie several times since I have been blogging. In fact I have made several times in the past couple months. The problem is, the pie is usually eaten before I get pictures! My thanks go out to my dear friend Sarah for introducing me to this amazing pecan pie. She made it once when she and her husband had Zack and I over for dinner. I had never been a huge pecan pie person. I had this idea in my head that I did not like nuts. I know insane! Well, Sarah converted me and made me realize I love pecans! I eat them all the time, but this is by far my favorite way to eat them. I am not sure where she got the recipe and I have made a few changes, but either way it is incredible! When you make this I suggest you make two because people will want seconds...and thirds...and fourths!
Instead of posting the crust recipe again, I linked back to a previous post.
Pecan Pie
recipe from my friend Sarah, adapted by Baked Perfection
9 inch pie crust
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup melted butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups pecans (1 cup chopped and 1 cup whole)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix corn syrup through vanilla in large bowl until blended. Stir in pecans. Pour into prepared crust. Tent crust with aluminum foil. Bake pie for 50 minutes, remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. The pie is done when you tap the center of the pie lightly, it springs back.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Candy Cane Blossoms

UPDATE: I posted this recipe again with a few additional tips and sprinkle ideas. Click here: Candy Cane Blossoms II

Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Christmas Caramel Popcorn


Monday, December 20, 2010
White Chocolate Christmas Pretzels
White Chocolate Christmas Pretzels
I have said before that I love World Market and that love continues. They really have the neatest things there and incredible specialty food items. I was browsing there the other day to see if I could find any Christmas presents. One thing I did find were these fantastic Christmas Pretzels. Of course they were not covered in white chocolate and sprinkles, as that was my doing, but they are in adorable shapes. The pretzels are packaged in a large barrel and are shaped as stars, bells, and trees. I did notice there were fewer stars than the other two shapes, but other than that no complaints. I knew they would be perfect for Christmas Pretzels. Here is the link to my last post on how to make these: White Chocolate Covered Pretzels.
Happy Holidays!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Banana Split Bark
Something different.
For those of you that know me well, or have been following this blog for a while, you know that I do not like bananas. Things have not changed...I still do not like bananas. I can though appreciate that other people like bananas. I saw this recipe over Thanksgiving when we were staying at my in-laws. My mother-in-law has so many cookbooks and I love that about her. Every time I visit I pile them up and slowly make my way through them. This recipe was one that I found while flipping through her cookbooks. For some reason this recipe really jumped out at me. I can't tell you why since I had no desire to eat the bark, but I thought it would be a fun recipe to add to my holiday baking list. Let me be the first to tell you that people really loved this bark. Based on the feedback from the people that tried this bark, it has a great balance of sweet and tart and the banana chips and toasted pecans added a nice crunch. It literally took me less than 10 minutes to make.
Banana Split Bark
recipe adapted from Pillsbury
Line large cookie sheet with waxed paper. In the microwave, melt chocolate chips at full power stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted.
In medium bowl mix banana chips, toasted pecans and cherries; reserve 1/2 cup. Add remaining fruit mixture to melted chocolate chips; toss to coat. Cool 5 minutes at room temperature. Gently fold in white chocolate chips. Spread mixture evenly into 12x9-inch rectangle on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet; sprinkle with reserved fruit mixture. Cool until set, about 30 minutes.
Break into 1 1/2x1 1/2-inch pieces. Store in airtight container.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Mint Chocolate Delight Cookies

Typically I am not a mint chocolate person. Don't get me wrong, I love an occasional Andes Mint, but I almost always would choose something else over the mint chocolate combination. Something about these cookies spoke to me and I had to make them. I happened to purchase a bag of Nestle Dark Chocolate and Mint Morsels last year and never used them. I just assumed they would still be good, until I got them out of my pantry and realized they expired quite some time ago and there were odd looking white spots on the mint chips. Apparently I really wanted to make these cookies, because the next time I was at Target I bought a new bag of chips and went home and whipped up the dough. I made the dough a week in advance of when I wanted to bake them. So I rolled the dough into balls and stuck it in the freezer. Then, this past Saturday I let the dough thaw and baked them off. They turned out great! They are crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy in the center. They are not overly minty which is perfect. My cookies came out much more pillow-like then the cookies pictured in the original recipe, which I think I prefer. Perhaps it had to do with me freezing the dough. Enjoy!
Mint Chocolate Delight Cookies
recipe adapted from Nestle
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1 1.4 oz package of instant chocolate pudding Mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Dark Chocolate & Mint Morsels
Preheat oven to 325° F.
Combine flour, cocoa, pudding mix, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by well-rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Cookies and Cream Fudge
As I mentioned in my earlier post, I really wanted to test my skills at fudge this December. This was the second batch I attempted and it turned out great...if you like white chocolate. Neither Zack or I are really white chocolate people so it is not our favorite, but others have given it rave reviews. I used the red Holiday Oreos to get it an extra special touch. Since the fudge turned pink it would really be great for Valentine's Day if you can keep Oreos in your house for that long! This is definitely something different that will look great in Christmas tins.
Cookies and Cream Fudge
recipe adapted from Nestle
3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
2/3 cup (5 fl.-oz. can) Evaporated Milk
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) White Chocolate Chips
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow crème
1/2 cup finely crushed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup crumbled cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
Combine sugar, butter and evaporated milk in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir in white chocolate chips, marshmallow crème, finely crushed cookies and vanilla extract. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle crumbled cookies on top. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into 48 pieces. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sugar Cookie Bars

I have been wanting to make these cookies bars for quite some time. They were floating around the blog world a while ago so I put them on my "to bake list". In fact, I emailed the link for the recipe as seen on My Baking Addiction to myself to make sure I would not forget. As I have mentioned before, that list keeps on growing. Today I hosted my third annual cookie/dessert exchange and thought these cookies would be perfect to break out. I also made mint chocolate cookies which I will post later this week. The party was a ton of fun, I am thankful to have such wonderful women in my life. Anyway, back to these sugar cookie bars. This recipe makes a TON of cookies. I did not count, but I think there were over 60. They taste just like traditional cut out cookies, but are soft and you don't have to deal with the fuss of cutting them. I used my own frosting recipe, but I loved the way Jamie piped the cookies on My Baking Addiction so I piped them in a very similar fashion. Don't feel like you have to pipe the frosting, go ahead and slather it on!
Sugar Cookie Bars
recipe adapted from My Baking Addiction
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to wet mixture and mix until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan).
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool completely and frost.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
recipe from Baked Perfection
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
5 cups powdered sugar
3-5 tablespoons milk
Beat butter and vanilla until creamy. Add salt. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until combined. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Peanut Butter Fudge

One of my favorite candies is fudge. My husband and close friends can definitely vouch for this. Last Christmas I could not contain myself at my in-laws. Every time I walked by the kitchen I would grab a piece of peanut butter fudge. I even found myself making extra trips. After Christmas I had made a clean break from the tasty stuff until I went to Long Beach Island (LBI for those familiar) with two of my girl friends this summer. We were there just one night staying with my friend Lauren's parents. Lauren told me the fudge was some of the best so we stopped to get some. I completely intended to take some home for Zack...and then the three of us ate it all! It was worth it. I never told Zack this story so now I will know if he really reads my blog :)
Anyway, I decided this year I was going to make fudge. I actually found it to be a pretty quick and easy process. I did use a candy thermometer so perhaps that helped. I also made chocolate fudge and cookies and cream fudge which I will also post this month.
Peanut Butter Fudge
recipe adapted from allrecipes.com
1/2 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners' sugar
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil and boil until your thermometer reaches 234 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 4 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Pour over confectioners' sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth; pour into an 8x8 inch dish. Chill until firm and cut into squares.

Sunday, December 5, 2010
Noel Thumbprint Cookies
It is cookie season!
As you can imagine I have been full swing in baking mode. It seems there are too many recipes to try and not enough time in the day to try them all. These thumbprint cookies were the first Christmas cookie I tried this season and they did not disappoint. They were buttery, nutty, and fruity. I used raspberry and grape jam, because that is what I had on had. The original recipe suggest using strawberry jam, which I have posted below. I am going to keep trying to make as many recipes as a I can and I promise to post all of them. This weekend I was busy making fudge. Expect to see it later this week.
In other news I did not do any Christmas shopping this weekend and really should have.
Noel Thumbprint Cookies
recipe adapted from Taste of Home
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup seedless strawberry jam
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Shape into 1-1/4-in. balls; roll in nuts.
Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make a 3/8- to 1/2-in.-deep indentation in the center of each ball. Fill with jam.
Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks. Yield: 3 dozen.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Cinnamon Sugar Pecans


Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Pumpkin Pie - It is never too late!

1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening , cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup vodka , cold
1/4 cup cold water
Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.
Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.
Bakers Note: I have prepared this recipe in the food processor and by hand using a pastry cutter. It is definitely easier with the food processor, but tastes just as great doing it by hand. This is by far the best pie crust I have ever tasted!

Sunday, November 28, 2010
Cranberry Apple Pie


recipe from Cook's Illustrated
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening , cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup vodka , cold
1/4 cup cold water
Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.
Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.
Bakers Note: I have prepared this recipe in the food processor and by hand using a pastry cutter. It is definitely easier with the food processor, but tastes just as great doing it by hand. This is by far the best pie crust I have ever tasted!

Sunday, November 7, 2010
Red Velvet Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

Red Velvet Layer:
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Layer:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch baking pan, and set aside.
Brownie layer: Add melted butter to a large bowl and add the sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder, salt, food coloring, and vinegar, in that order, mixing between additions. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and stir it into the cocoa mix. Fold in the flour until lightly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, saving 1/4 cup of the batter for the top.
Cream cheese layer: Blend together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Gently spread the cream cheese layer on top of the brownie batter in the pan. Dollop the remaining brownie batter over the cream cheese layer. Using a skewer or the tip of a knife, drag the tip through the cream cheese mixture to create a swirl pattern. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before cutting.

Sunday, October 31, 2010
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I hope everybody had a great Halloween weekend. I know it is too late for you to make these cupcakes for Halloween, but I think they are great for any fall event. They would be great at a Thanksgiving potluck or even with Thanksgiving dinner. If you ask Zack....they are even good for afternoon snack :)
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
recipe from Baked Perfection
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg. In separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, pumpkin puree, both sugars, and eggs. Add the flour mixture, and whisk until just combined.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. Makes 15 cupcakes.
Cream Cheese Frosting
recipe from Baked Perfection
3/4 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat butter, cream cheese, and vanilla with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar 1 cup at a time; mix until smooth.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Halloween Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes Recipe
Makes 30
Ingredients:
42 cream-filled sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
Pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.
With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.
Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.
Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

Monday, October 18, 2010
Halloween Cake Pops


Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Caramel Popcorn (a.k.a my new favorite treat)
Beware...people will fight you for this!
Earlier this year our friend John turned 30 (which I mentioned in earlier posts). To celebrate this momentous occasion, his wife hosted a great party and his mom, Sue, made this AMAZING caramel popcorn. I already thought his mom was pretty great, but the fact that she created the tastiest popcorn I ever ate just put her over the top. Lucky for me (and you) she shared the recipe.
This popcorn is not only delicious, it is easy to make, and super affordable. I bagged the popcorn in cute little cellophane bags that had skeletons printed on them and tied it off with an orange Halloween ribbon. I think this would be perfect to give out as a favor for a party or even in a big cauldron to share.
Caramel Popcorn
4 bags buttered and salted popcorn, popped (remove any unpopped kernels)
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
In a medium saucepan, melt together the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil over low heat 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the baking soda and vanilla.
Place the popcorn into a turkey roaster pan coated with cooking spray. Pour caramel over popcorn. Bake at 250º for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes with a spatula coated with cooking spray. Let cool before serving.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Candy Corn themed Chocolate Covered Pretzels
