Sweet Vanilla Cashew Cream

This is healthy, yummy, dairy free and sugar free!  Almost doesn't seem real?! But it totally is! This is so yummy on fresh berries, in Choffy (if you don't know what this is, click here!) or any drink you want to be creamy and sweet! Or just eat it by the spoonful (I obviously DON'T do this). You should totally try this!

Sweet Vanilla Cashew Cream

makes about two cups

1 cup raw, unsalted cashews

1/2 cup almond milk

2-4 T pure Maple Syrup (depending on sweet you want it)

1 t vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Let them soak for at least two hours.

Drain the water and place the cashews in a blender. Add the almond milk, syrup, vanilla and salt and blend on high for 30 to a minute or until smooth.  Refrigerate to thicken. Will keep in the fridge for unto 5 days or freeze.

Hot Chocolate Bombs

This is such a fun way to do a Hot Chocolate Bar! My boys love a good cup of hot chocolate and I love that they can just heat up milk and drop one of these babies in!  I found the recipe here. 

Hot Chocolate Bombs

(about 15 balls)

2 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 T sugar

1/4 t salt

2 t vanilla extract

cocoa powder, crushed candy canes, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows for rolling

Place all ingredients in a pot (except the items for rolling) and melt together on low heat until smooth.  Stir constantly.  

Let cool in the fridge until stiff enough to scoop (I left mine over night).

Make small scoops, about 2 Tablespoons each.  I used my cookie scoop. Place on wax paper and freeze for an hour.

Roll each scoop into a ball and then roll in your choice of decoration.  Crushed candy canes, cocoa powder, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows or anything you want! You will need to push the bigger things in to make them stick.  

Keep chilled until ready to use. (I leave mine in the freezer)

When ready, drop 1 hot chocolate ball into 1 1/2 cups of hot milk and stir until completely dissolved.

Yum!

Peach Hand Pies

My husband LOVES hand pies! It is a good thing I know how to make them or I would fear he loved them more than me! There is just something so amazing about being able to eat pie with your hands! If you haven't done that, you haven't lived! These are a breakfast food as well as dessert in my house!  I found the recipe for the peaches (the best!) here. I always use my favorite pie crust (see below). Now, get going!

Peach Hand Pies
(about 20)

Pie Crust

(adapted from Bon Appetite)

2 1/2 cups flour

2 t sugar

1/4 t salt

1 cup (2 stick) cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

6 T ice water (or more)

1 egg

1 T milk 

whisk this together

(this is for brushing on the dough)

Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Add butter, rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles course meal.  Add 6 T ice water and toss with a fork until moist clumps form, add more ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time if the mixture is too dry.  Gather dough into a ball and flatten into two disks.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Roll out one disk at a time on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out as many 4 inch circles as you can. Repeat with other disk.  While the dough disks are in the fridge, make the peach filling. 

Peach Filling

5 medium to large peaches
1/2 cup sugar
2 T corn starch
1/2 t cinnamon
dash of salt
juice of 1/2 a lemon
a few drops of almond extract (this enhances the peach flavor!)

Peel and dice the peaching into 1/2" pieces. Place the diced peaches in a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar. Toss to combine.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for an hour. After an hour, drain the juice into a medium sauce pan.  Set aside the diced peaches. Whisk in the cinnamon, cornstarch and salt.  Cook over medium heat until the syrup boils. Whisking constantly, cook for about 2 minutes or until the syrup thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and the almond extract.  Gently fold in the diced peaches and any extra juice.  Set aside to cool while you roll out the dough.

Icing
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1 T milk
a few drops vanilla extract
a few drops almond extract


Putting it all together:

Preheat oven to 350. Take a 4 inch dough round to a lightly floured surface and brush it with the egg and milk mixture.  Place a Tablespoon of peaches in the middle and fold the sides up like a taco. Gently pinch the sides together starting at one end and working to the middle. Lay the hand pie on its side and seal the edges using the tines of a fork.  Poke a couple of holes in the top, using your fork, to vent it.  Place the hand pie on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper and repeat with the remaining dough circles.  Bake the pies for 30 minutes or until golden at 350.  While they are baking, whisk together the icing.  When they are hot out of the oven, gently brush the pies with the icing.  Cool as long as you can!  They are so yummy warm!

** If you have left over peach filling (I always do) place the peaches in a small oven safe dish.  Mix together a couple tablespoons oats, a couple tablespoons melted butter, a dash of cinnamon and a couple tablespoons brown sugar.  Put this onto of the peaches and bake at 350 until bubbly and lightly browned!

Vanilla Bean Scones

I love scones!  And as much as I love them, I think my boys love them more! I literally hid these and totally kept them all for myself, after we ate them for breakfast one morning.  They are a copy cat recipe of Starbucks Petite Vanilla Bean Scones.  I got the recipe here.

Vanilla Bean Scones

(32 petite sones)

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar 

1 T baking powder

1/4 t salt

1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 egg

2 t vanilla bean paste (you could also use 1/2 a vanilla bean scraped and 2 t vanilla extract)

Glaze

3 cups powdered sugar

6-7 T heavy ream

1 t vanilla bean paste (or 1/2 vanilla bean scraped and 1 t vanilla extract)

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.

3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Whisk or pulse in a food processor to mix.

4. Add butter and cut in with a pastry cutter or pulse with a food processor until mixture resembles cornmeal texture.

5. In another bowl, whisk together cream, egg, and vanilla bean paste

6. Add liquid to flour mixture and pulse until just combined.

7. Put the dough on a floured surface and knead the dough briefly until the dough comes together.

8. Roll the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness.

9. Cut the dough into 8 rectangles or squares and then cut each on one diagonal and then the other creating 32 petite scones.

10. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges just start to turn brown.

11. Transfer the scones to a cooling rack to cool completely.

12. Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze adding the cream one tablespoon at a time until desired thickness. Dip the cooled scones in the glaze and place them back on the cooling rack to harden.

Apple Crisp Pie

I don't usually make pie. Not because I don't like it, I am just not very good at it. But this recipe has given me new hope! I LOVE this pie, it is probably the only one I will ever make again, it is that good! I can't for the life of me remember where I got the recipe, so please forgive me for not giving credit where credit is due, especially with such an amazing recipe! 

Apple Crisp Pie

(makes one pie)

1 homemade or store bought pie crust (I use this recipe)

5 1/2 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples (my fav is honey crisp)

1 T fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

3 T flour

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

Topping

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 375.  Fit pie crust into the pie plate.  

In a large bowl, gently mix sliced apples, lemon juice, both sugars, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Once it is blended well, pour into the pie crust.

Prepare topping by mixing all the ingredients for the topping in a medium bowl with a pastry cutter or a fork until coarsely crumbled and all the dry ingredients are incorporated.  Sprinkle the topping over the apple mixture in the prepared pie crust.

Bake at 375 for 50 minutes. (If your crust starts to get too brown, cover just the crust with foil and continue baking.  The pie will be bubbly around the edges when it is done.  Let the pie cool (if you can).  It will set up as it cools! Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if you so desire, but why wouldn't you?!?

Chocolate Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

There is just something so delicious about a deep, dark chocolate cake with creamy cream cheese frosting! Here is my version taken from this chocolate cake recipe (P.S. its the best, ever!). It definitely deserves its own post! My favorite way to enjoy this cake is when it is super cold right out of the fridge.  It makes it extra dense and moist!

Chocolate Bundt Cake

2 cups (250 g) cake flour
1 t (6 g) salt
2 t (10 g) baking soda
1 t (5 g) baking powder
3/4 cup (69g) unsweetened cocoa
2 cups (400 g) sugar
3/4 cup (180 ml) vegetable oil (I used avocado oil, it is healthier and you can't tell at all)
1 cup (240 ml) hot coffee (I am not a coffee drinker so I used Choffy.  It is roasted cocoa beans, seriously amazing stuff!)
1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
1/4 cup (60 ml) cream
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
2 large eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla bean paste

Preheat oven to 325.  Spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray and lightly flour.
Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Add the *hot coffee or Choffy, oil, milk, cream and buttermilk and beat for 2 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla and eggs. Beat for 2 more minutes. It will be very liquid-y.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 45-55 minutes.  The cake is ready when the cake springs back when lightly touched or when a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes in the pan.  Loosen the sides and remove to a cooling rack. Cool completely. Frost as desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1- 8oz package cream cheese

1/2 cup butter (at room temperature)

1 t vanilla

4-5 cups powdered sugar

Mix together cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add vanilla and enough powdered sugar to desired spreading consistency.  I like mine thick so I can pipe it on.

Oreo Rice Krispie Treats

We like to have "snuggle nights" with our boys.  They get to stay up late and watch something fun or play games as a family.  It is a HUGE deal in our house and they will do almost anything to not miss out on these special nights!  Of course there are treats involved! It is usually some sort of milk shake, but when there is no ice cream in the freezer, you have to think quick!  I knew I had the stuff for Rice Krispie Treats but was in the mood for something a little more.  So, I added Oreos! Such a fun twist to an already quick and easy treat! They were a big hit with the "snuggle night" boys!

Oreo Rice Krispie Treats

4 T butter
5 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
5 cups Rice Krispie cereal
20 oreos, crushed
1 t vanilla

Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside. In a large bowl, combine Rice Krispies and crushed Oreos (I just smashed them in a large baggie). Set aside. Melt the butter and marshmallows in a large pan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the marshmallows are melted and the mixture is smooth, add vanilla and stir to combine.  Add the Rice Krispies and crushed Oreos to the melted marshmallow mixture.  Stir until evenly combined.  Press into prepared pan and let them cool and set.

Lemon Zucchini Bread

I don't know about you, but when our zucchini plant starts producing we have a couple of frantic weeks that we have way more zucchini than we possibly know what to do with.  I have to get creative quick! So when I saw this lemon zucchini bread pop up on Pinterest I knew I had found a winner!  I mean lemon?! Zucchini?! Sweet bread?! Yes, Yes, YES! It did not disappoint! Although I have to say, the lemon dominates! The zucchini was just there as my justification that I was eating healthy! Add in the bonus of using one more of these fast growing, fast producing veggies and this bread is a keeper! Original recipe found here.

Lemon Zucchini Bread
(1 loaf)

2 cups flour
3/4 t salt
2 t baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup avocado oil (or canola)
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 T lemon juice
zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 c grated zucchini

Glaze:

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
2 T lemon juice
1 T milk

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.  In a large bowl beat the eggs.  Add the oil and sugar and mix until blended.  Add the lemon juice, buttermilk, and lemon zest to this mixture and mix well.  Stir in the shredded zucchini.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until well combined.  Grease a loaf pan and pour the batter into it.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.   While the bread is cooling, mix up the glaze.  Pour the glaze over the warm bread.  Let the glaze set before slicing.

Disappearing Marshmallow Bars

My friend brought these to a play date at the park and I think I may have moaned when I bit into one, I know, embarrassing! But they are that good!  The name of these definitely has a double meaning.  The first is that the marshmallows really do disappear when you cook them and the second is that the bars, themselves, disappear quickly because no one can keep their hands off! It is truly a sacrifice to wait for them to cool!  I never seem to be able to make it until they are completely cool before eating my first 1 or 4!

Disappearing Marshmallow Bars

1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350.  Grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  In a sauce pan, over medium heat melt the butter and butterscotch chips together.  Stir constantly until smooth.  Be careful not to over heat these or  ooh them too long, they will separate. (I had this happen, I used an immersion blender to bring them back together).

Cool butterscotch and butter to room temperature.  In a large bowl mix together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla, eggs and butterscotch mixture, until smooth.  The batter will be thick.  Now stir in the marshmallows and chocolate chips.  Spread the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.  The center will feel a little soft, but will firm while cooling.  Let cool for 2-3 hours before cutting, if you can!

Chocolate Nutella Strawberry Trifle

I think the name says it all!  This is really such a yummy dessert! Be prepared to share, it makes a ton! I found the original recipe here, but tweaked it a bit.  Besides being delicious all together, this is the best "from scratch" chocolate cake recipe I have ever made!  It really needs its own post but I couldn't wait to share this with you!

Chocolate Nutella Strawberry Trifle

Cake

2 cups (250 g) cake flour
1 t (6 g) salt
2 t (10 g) baking soda
1 t (5 g) baking powder
3/4 cup (69g) unsweetened cocoa
2 cups (400 g) sugar
3/4 cup (180 ml) vegetable oil (I used avocado oil, it is healthier and you can't tell at all)
1 cup (240 ml) hot coffee (I am not a coffee drinker so I used Choffy.  It is roasted cocoa beans, seriously amazing stuff!)
1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
1/4 cup (60 ml) cream
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
2 large eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla bean paste

Preheat oven to 350.  Line 2, 9inch round cake pans with parchment paper circles. Spray with cooking spray.
Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Add the *hot coffee or Choffy, oil, milk, cream and buttermilk and beat for 2 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla and eggs. Beat for 2 more minutes. It will be very liquid-y.
Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for about 30 minutes.  The cake is ready when the cake springs back when lightly touched or when a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes in the pans.  Loosen the sides and remove to a cooling rack. Cool completely.

*This needs to be really hot to help dissolve the sugar and flour

Nutella Mousse

1 cup (250 ml) Nutella
5 T water
2 T (30 ml) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups (250 ml) whipping cream

Set a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water (The bottom of the bowl should NOT touch the water) and melt the Nutella with the 5 T water.  Mix until smooth.  Add the butter and mix until combined. Remove from heat.

In another bowl, whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the melted Nutella.  Now add the rest of the whipped cream and fold until fully incorporated.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Whipped Cream

2 cups whipping cream
1 t vanilla
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Whip all ingredients together until stiff peaks form.

2-3 cups sliced strawberries

Assembly

Cut cooled cake into pieces.  Using a trifle bowl place a layer of cake on the bottom.  Spoon on 1/2 of the Nutella mousse. Top with 1/3 of the sliced strawberries.  Add another layer of cake, them the rest of the mousse.  Add another 1/3 of the strawberries.  Add another layer of cake and then top with whipped cream.  I left the last strawberries whole to put on the top.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Lemon Drop Cookies

I LOVE lemon!  Anything lemon! So when my dear friend made these for a luncheon and I ate half the plate, I knew I was in trouble!  {Thanks Ashley ;) }They are soft and chewy and tart and sweet!  I know, perfect, right?! Just wait until you make them, I dare you to not eat half the plate! The original recipe is found here.

Lemon Drop Cookies
about 4 dozen

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
1 t lemon extract
4 cups flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
zest of 1 lemon
6 oz. lemon drops, crushed (NOT lemon heads)

1  1/2 cups powdered sugar
juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and flavorings and blend well. Sift the dry ingredients together and slowly add to the wet ingredients. Add the lemon zest and crushed lemon drops and mix until combined.  Drop tablespoonfuls onto a cookies sheet covered in parchment paper** and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand or a fork.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  While they are baking whisk together the lemon juice and powdered sugar to make the glaze. Let the cookies cool for 1 to 2 minutes and then brush the glaze over them with a pastry brush. Let them cool completely.  After they were cooled, I drizzled a little more glaze over the top to make them look striped.

*Lemon drops can be hard to find, I found them at my speciality grocery store and I also saw them at Michaels Craft store

**Make sure you don't skip this step!  The little candy bits will totally stick to the cookie sheet and make it hard to get your cookies off! Plus, when you are brushing the glaze on, it tends to drip and this makes cleaning the pans or starting another batch a snap!

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies

I needed these today! Just a moment of weakness or a burst of inspiration, either way, they were YUM!  Sometimes I just like to go in the kitchen and start throwing ingredients together to see what I come up with.  There is nothing special in these, just a different combination of measurements but I am digging how they turned out! Maybe they are just better because they are bigger

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies
about 15 BIG cookies
(cookies are about 4 inches across)

3/4 cup butter, softened (1 and 1/2 sticks)
1/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 t. vanilla
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325. Cream together butter and coconut oil.  Add both sugars and mix well.  Add vanilla, mix again.  Next add egg and egg yolk and mix until incorporated.  Add baking powder, baking soda and salt, mix.  Add the flour and mix until there is no more white.  Add the chocolate chips last.  Once it is all combined, make ice cream scoop size balls and put 6 on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.  Make sure to leave lots of room for spreading. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.

*When you are making cookies this size, baking for longer time on lower temp allows for the cookie to cook at the way through.

Buttermilk Chocolate Cookies

I wanted something new, yummy and chocolate for this rather warm Sunday. As I was browsing, I came across these cookies and was intrigued that they used buttermilk, especially since I had some in my fridge I needed to use.  I found them on this website.  I modified mine and used Andes Mint pieces in half of the dough.  The chocolate mint were the favorite in our house, but both are fantastic!
They got rave reviews by all and my 7 year old said they were definitely "blog worthy"!  They are soft, gooey and totally chocolatey! YUM!

Buttermilk Chocolate Cookies
(about 2 1/2 dozen)

2 cups flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1 t vanilla
1 egg
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 cups chocolate chips (Andes Mint pieces, white chocolate chip or semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.   Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl.  In a large bowl, combine melted butter (still warm) with the cocoa powder and whisk until very smooth.  Whisk in the buttermilk, egg, vanilla and the sugar.  Gradually stir in the flour mixture until no streaks of flour remain.  Add the chips you are using or divide the dough in half and do 2 different kinds! Drop by the spoonful onto prepared pan about 2 inches apart (these spread).  Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cookies are set on the edges.  The middle will be doughy but firm up as they cool.  Let them cool for a few minutes on the pan and then cool completely on a wire rack.

Vanilla Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies

If I had to pick just one dessert to eat for the rest of my life I would pick cookies.  I crave them daily, I dream about them at night, and I can honestly say they complete me...ok, that is really dramatic and a little over done, but I do LOVE them!  I have seen this recipe floating around a lot lately and I kind of always brushed it off, I am not sure why, especially not that I have made them!  They are completely worthy of my love!  I don't really know where this recipe originally came from but I found it here... mine is slightly altered.

Vanilla Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies

(about 2 dozen)

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding

2 eggs

1 1/2 t vanilla

2 1/4 cups flour

1 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

2 cups chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet and milk)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together butter and sugars until creamy.  Add the pudding, eggs and vanilla and mix again.  Add the baking soda and salt and mix one more time.  Add the flour (this is where I use my hand mixer).  I start with 2 cups and add the last 1/4 cup if it needs it. Lastly add the chocolate chips and mix.  Drop by the tablespoonful full and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  Let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack.

Cinnamon Twists with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I woke up this morning wanting a cinnamon roll so bad!  But they take way longer to make than I was willing to wait.  So as I sat dreaming, I remembered a pizza place in Provo, UT that used to make cinnamon twists called Tricky Sticks.  They came like bread sticks with frosting to dip them in.  And then I remembered a couple of weeks ago I made these bread sticks.  Well, the wheels started turning and I morphed the two ideas and came up with these! Quick and easy and oh so good!

Cinnamon Twists
(15-20 sticks)

1 1/2 cups warm water
3 T sugar
1 T yeast

Mix this together and let it stand for 5 minutes. Then add:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 t salt

For the middle:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 t cinnamon

Mix the dough until smooth and let it rise for 10 minutes.  Roll the dough, on a floured surface, into a big square.  Brush the softened butter over the lower half of the dough and sprinkle it with the sugar and cinnamon.  Fold the top half down and cut the dough into 15-20 sticks.  Twist each stick and place it on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Let the twists rise for 15-20 minutes while the oven preheats to 400.  Bake the twists for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

2 T butter, softened
2 T cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 t vanilla
3 T milk

Beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until smooth.  Drizzle over warm twists and save the rest for dipping!

Brownie-Bottom Coconut Chocolate Cream Cake

I KNOW! I have totally been MIA!  With the school year ending and planning a cross-country move for my family in 2 weeks (Eek!) things couldn't be crazier!  We have eaten out more than I care to admit and when we do eat at home it has been quick sandwiches or leftovers, so NOT exciting.  But after numerous people commenting on my lack of cooking, including (and most importantly) my patient and understanding husband, I thought I might need to suck it up, do the dishes from last week and cook something already!! So, what do I turn to first? Dessert, of course!  I found this recipe on Willow Bird Baking, changed some things, used my favorite other things, and ended up with a super delicious dessert for my hubby for Father's Day, which we have been celebrating all week because there is no time to celebrate all at once (back to the whole crazier than crazy life we are living at the moment!)  So, if you are needing something special for the sweet Father or Father's in your life, this is a great one!

Brownie-Bottom Coconut Chocolate Cream Cake

Brownie:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 1/2 heaping T cocoa powder

1/2 t vanilla

1/2 cup plus 1 T flour

Coconut Cream Filling:
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 plus 4 t cornstarch
1/4 t salt
3/4 cup flaked coconut
1/4 t coconut extract
1/4 t vanilla extract

Chocolate Mousse:
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
2 eggs, separated and at room temperature
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 T vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 60%)
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of corn starch

Whipped Cream:
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla

toasted coconut for garnish

For the brownie layer:
Preheat oven to 350. Melt the butter.  Add the sugar and eggs and beat together.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.  Pour the batter into a greased 9 inch spring form pan.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

For the coconut cream:
While the brownie layer is cooking, combine the half and half, coconut milk, eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a sauce pan.  Cook over medium low stirring constantly until the mixture thickens, about 8-10 minutes. Once the mixture is thickened, remove from the heat and add the vanilla, coconut extract and the untoasted flaked coconut and stir to combine. Pour this over the brownie layer.  Place plastic wrap directly on the coconut cream to keep a film from forming and chill in the fridge for at least 2-4 hours, or until completely cold.


For the chocolate mousse:
Melt the butter in a medium bowl set over a sauce pan of simmering water (do NOT allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water!).  In a separate small bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cream and vanilla and set aside.  Once the butter is melted, slowly whisk in the yolk mixture.  Continue whisking over the simmering water until the mixture thickens, like pudding, this will take about 8-10 minutes.  Once it is thick remove it from over the water and add the chocolate, stirring to melt.  Set aside.  In a separate bowl beat together the egg whites, sugar and pinch of cornstarch until stiff peaks form.  Whisk 1/4 cup of the stiff egg whites into the chocolate to loosen it up.  Now add the rest of the egg whites, folding gently until they are completely blended into the chocolate.  Pour this mousse over the cold coconut cream in the spring form pan.  Place the whole thing back in the fridge and let it set completely, about 4 hours.

Finishing the cake:
Make your fresh whipped cream by beating together the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until peaks form.  Add this to the top of the cold cake and then top with toasted coconut.  To serve, run a knife around the edges of the spring form pan to loosen it from the sides.  Remove the sides and cut into slices.

Fried Ice Cream

Let me just start by saying, this recipe is NOT for those looking for a light, fit treat! The name pretty much sums it up.  BUT if you are willing or able to spare the calories, this is to die for!  We found this recipe on Food Network quite a few years ago and LOVED it! We pulled it back out for a special Mother's Day treat and liked it even more than we remembered!

Fried Ice Cream
(4-8 servings, depending how big you make the ice cream balls)

1 quart vanilla ice cream (we used Haagen Daz)
1 cup crushed corn flakes
1 cup sweetened coconut, or 1 cup chopped nuts, or 1 cup cookie crumbs, or any combination (we used equal parts of pecans and vanilla wafers)
2 eggs
2 T sugar
vegetable oil, for frying

toppings:
hot fudge or caramel (we used this recipe) It is really Buttermilk Syrup, but if you cook it a little longer is makes delicious caramel sauce for ice cream!
whipped cream
fresh berries (optional)

With an ice cream scoop, form 4 to 8 ice cream balls and place on a wax paper lined sheet and cover with plastic wrap.  Freeze for at least 2 hours.

In a bowl, combine cornflake crumbs with either cookies crumbs, nuts or coconut (or whatever combo you are using).  Spread the mixture in a shallow dish.  Roll the ice cream balls in the mixture until they are coated and freeze for 30 more minutes.

In another bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar.  Dip the coated ice cream balls in to the egg mixture and then roll them, one more time, in the cornflake mixture until completely coated.  Freeze for one more hour.

When the ice cream balls are super hard, heat enough oil to cover a ball in a large pot or in a fryer to 400 degrees. When the oil is up to temperature, lower the balls, one at a time into the oil and fry until golden brown (about 30 seconds to one minute). Remove from the oil and serve immediately.  Top with Hot fudge or caramel and whipped cream and fresh berries.

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

I love scones and I love lemon!  These come together so fast and are so beautiful and delicious, you just can't go wrong!  Such a great way to start a beautiful, sunny morning! I found this recipe at Our Best Bites.

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

(8 scones)

2 cups flour, lightly spooned into the measuring cup and leveled with a knife
1/3 cup sugar
1 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 t poppy seeds
8 T frozen butter
1/2 cup sour cream, I used light
1 egg
zest of 1 lemon

Glaze


1/4 cup lemon juice
2 T melted butter
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, poppy seeds and salt.  Add the lemon zest and whisk to combine.  Grate the frozen butter (or used a food processor) and toss it into the flour mixture.  Combine it with your fingers until it resembles coarse meal.  set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and egg.  Add this to the flour/butter mixture and toss with a fork until it comes to a ball and all the flour is moistened.

Lightly flour a surface and place the dough on it. Press the ball into an 8 inch disk and cut into equal wedges using a butter knife or pizza cutter. Place them evenly on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes or until lightly golden.  Remove from the oven and let them cool.

While the scones are cooling, whisk together the glaze.  Drizzle over the scones. IF you do it while they are still warm, it will spread over the top and drip down the sides, my favorite! Or you can do it when they are cool and drizzle squiggles on the tops.

Graham Cracker Cookies

I found these on the back of a box of graham crackers and thought I would give them a try.  Not only are they fantastic, but they are also egg free! So, if you just want to eat the dough, there is no guilt (well, almost!)  I also thought the dough would be great to use in cookie dough ice cream or in cookie dough truffles.  The cookies reminded me of Magic Cookie Bars, most of the same ingredients, just put together differently!

Graham Cracker Cookies

(4-5 dozen)

1 1/2 cups honey graham crackers, finely crushed

1/2 cup flour

2 t baking powder

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 t vanilla

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 cup flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350.  In a medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder.  In another bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk and butter together until smooth.  Add vanilla.  Add the crumb mixture and stir until smooth.  Add in the chocolate chips, coconut and nuts and stir until combined.  Drop by the teaspoonful onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges.   Let them cool for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.

Mint Oreo Milk Shake

I have a VERY hard time resisting mint Oreos!  Regular Oreos I can walk by all day long, but there is just something about mint that tempts me!  For this reason they are NEVER in my house, but seeing as how it was St. Patrick's Day AND my husband has some Irish heritage, I thought, why not?!  And boy am I regretting it, I guess I have to put in 24,000 more hours at the gym to make up for this weekend's mint Oreos!  But oh, they were soooo good!  Here is what I put into these mint Oreo milk shakes...

Mint Oreo Milk Shake

(about 6 servings)

Vanilla ice cream

mint Oreos

milk

malt powder

whipped cream (for garnish)

green sprinkles (for garnish)

Ok, I fill my blender with vanilla ice cream (do NOT pack it down).  Add a tablespoon or 2 of malt powder, and 9-10 mint Oreos.  Add milk until it fills the cracks and crevices about 3/4 of the way to the top of the blender. (I like my shakes thick, so I add more after I start to blend).  Blend until smooth, adjusting the milk or ice cream as needed until the shake is the consistency you like (I stir, carefully, as it blends with a spoon to get things moving).  Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream and sprinkles.