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Showing posts with the label Sweets

Strawberry Cupcakes (the healthy version)

These are not the prettiest cupcakes but they taste amazing! Preheat oven to 350°   Makes 12 cupcakes What you need: 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or margarine  1 large egg 6 ounces vanilla low fat yogurt or any other flavor you would like, I used mixed berry. 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp kosher salt 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 cup diced strawberries Frosting ingredients: 2 Tbs butter or margarine softened  1 cup powdered sugar 2 - 4 fresh strawberries  mashed Directions Cream together the sugar and butter/margarine until light and fluffy. Add the egg, yogurt and vanilla and mix until smooth measure the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and mix then mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Fold in the strawberries with a spatula. bake for 20 minutes  Frosting directions beat together all 3 ingredients until creamy and smooth chill frosting for 15 minutes or until thi...

Chocolate, chocolate chunk cookies

   Preheat oven to 375° What you need: 2 1/4 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 sticks butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 large eggs, beaten 1 tablespoon vanilla 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa 2 cups chocolate chips, 2 Hershey's chocolate bars (chopped) Directions:   In a bowl stir together flour, salt, and baking soda. In another large bowl stir together butter, both sugars, eggs, vanilla and cocoa. Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture and mix until combined. Stir chocolate chips and bar chunks, and stir to distribute evenly. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto greased or parchment covered baking sheets and bake about 10 minutes. Cool on a baking rack.

Peanut Brittle

  This is a recipe created by my family. It's just not the Holidays without our families peanut brittle. What you need: 1 cups Karo syrup (white) 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup water 1/4th tsp salt 1Tbs butter (heaping) 2 tsp baking soda 2 cups raw Spanish peanuts Directions: Boil sugar, syrup, water and salt in a 4 quart kettle stirring constantly scraping the sides every few turns for around 45 minutes or longer, until mixture spins threads.  (In case you are unaware of what spinning threads means it is when you lift the spoon from the pot and the candy drops and looks like spider webs) Add  peanuts and stir until golden brown. Add butter and turn off heat Add baking soda and stir quickly Pour onto greased cookie sheet. (we line a large cookie sheet in heavy duty foil and coat it with butter) When hard (but before it's cool) turn foil with candy on it upside down and hit the back to break it up or use whatever method works best for you. Let cool and store in air t...

Pumpkin Pie Fudge

  This is some very ugly fudge but it tastes great and is easy to make What you need: 3 cups white sugar 1 cup milk 3 Tbs light corn syrup 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I don't add these) Directions: Butter or grease an 8x8 inch pan. In a 3 quart sauce pan, mix together sugar, milk, corn syrup, pumpkin and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling. DO NOT STIR. When mixture registers at 232° on a candy thermometer, or forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water, remove from heat. Stir in pumpkin spice, vanilla, butter and nuts if you are using them.  Cool to lukewarm (110°) then beat mixture until it is thick and loses some of it's gloss. Quickly pour into greased  pan and cut when firm.

Sugar cookies

This is my favorite Sugar cookie recipe, they taste great and hold their shape very well. I have made sugar cookies in the past where I have used very detailed cookie cutters and the cookies would just bake into little blobs that didn't come close to resembling the shape of the cookie cutter. This recipe allows the shape to hold incredibly well. This recipe makes a large amount of cookies close to 5 dozen. Ingredients: 2 cups butter, softened 2 cups white sugar 4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt Directions: In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight). Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on un greased cookie sheets. Bake...

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

  Preheat oven to  350° What you need:     2 cups all-purpose flour     1 teaspoon baking soda     1 teaspoon baking powder     1 teaspoon coarse salt     1 teaspoon ground cinnamon     1 teaspoon ground ginger     1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg     1/4 teaspoon ground allspice     1 cup packed light-brown sugar     1 cup granulated sugar     1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled     4 large eggs, lightly beaten     1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree Directions:  Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.     In a large bowl, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredient...

Bailey's Irish Cream Bars

Preheat oven to 350° and Butter a 9x13 pan. What you need: 1 1/2 c Flour 3/4 ts Baking powder 1/4 ts Salt 2/3 c Butter, softened 3/4 c Brown sugar, packed 1 1/2 ts Vanilla 2 Eggs 1/2 c Bailey's Irish Cream 1 c Pecans, chopped and toasted 1/2 c White chocolate chips 1/2 c Chocolate chips, semisweet Frosting: 3 1/2 c Powdered sugar 6 tb Butter, softened 1 ts Vanilla 1/3 c Bailey's Irish Cream (more or less as needed) Pecan halves (for garnish) Bars: Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Beat together butter, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beat well. Alternately stir in flour mixture and Bailey's until well blended. Stir in nuts, white chips and chocolate chips. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Frosting: Beat sugar, vanilla, butter and 3 tb Bailey's until smooth. Add enough Bailey's to make smooth, creamy frosting. Spread over cooled...

Monkey Bread

Preheat your oven to 350° Ingredients: 3 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough 1 cup white sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 cup margarine 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) 1/2 cup raisins (optional) Directions: Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube/Bundt pan. Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along. In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.

Lemon bars

This is a Paula Deen recipe. Preheat your oven to 350° Ingredients: Crust: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting Pinch of salt 2 sticks butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing Filling: 4 eggs 2 cups granulated sugar 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Directions: Make the crust by combining the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a large bowl.   Cut in the butter to make a crumbly mixture. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. You may need to dip your fingers into a little flour or confectioners' sugar to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers. Bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, to make the filling, mix the eggs, granulated sugar, flour, and lemon juice. Pour this over the baked crust and bake for 25 minutes longer. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired, when the bars are done.

Caramels

  You can cover these in chocolate like I did or you can leave them plain. Ingredients: 2 cups sugar 16 oz evaporated milk 1/2 cup milk 1 cup white corn syrup  1/4 Lb butter or 1 stick 1 cup nuts (optional) 1 tsp vanilla 1 pinch baking soda Directions: Cook first 4 ingredients together until it forms a ball, stirring non stop for 45 to 60 minutes or until the caramel leaves the sides of the pot. Drop a small amount into a cup of ice cold water, it should form a firm ball. Add next 4 ingredients or next 3 if you are not adding nuts. Pour into a buttered glass casserole dish. When cool cut and wrap in wax paper and store in a ziploc bag. If you do not wrap them they will get sticky very quickly. If you want to cover them in chocolate, cut them and put them in the refrigerator for a couple hours on a cookie sheet. Melt your chocolate and dip the caramels into the chocolate and return to cookie sheet and put it back in the refrigerator until chocolate has hardened...

Snow Ball Cookies AKA Mexican Wedding Cakes

  Preheat your oven to 400° Ingredients: 1 Cup butter 1/2 Cup sugar 1/4 tsp salt 2 Cups sifted flour 1 tsp Vanilla 2 Cups chopped pecans Powdered sugar for rolling  Directions: Cream butter and sugar. Mix in salt, vanilla and flour gradually  Roll into small balls and place on cookie sheet (I line mine with parchment paper) Bake 10 to 12 minutes Roll balls in powdered sugar while they are still hot and then roll them again in the sugar after they have cooled down.

Rainbow Cupcakes

  Ingredients: 1 prepared box or homemade white cake mix Food coloring in desired colors you want Cups for as many colors you chose Spoons (I like to use butter knives or a frosting spatula) for mixing Directions: Pour even amounts of cake mix into the cups. Mix in food coloring to each cup and make sure they are all mixed well. Line your cupcake pan with liners and spoon the color you want on the bottom first into each liner Continue with each of the colors until 3/4 full Bake as recipe requires and voila!sweets

Candied Pecans

Preheat your oven to 250° Ingredients: 4 Tbs butter or margarine 1 Lb pecans (halved) 1 Cup white sugar 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon Directions:  Grease one baking sheet or cover with parchment paper Put the butter in a small mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Add pecans to butter, stir to coat the nuts evenly. Remove the nuts, and toss them in the sugar mixture until coated. Spread the nuts out on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes.

Bisquick Peach Cobbler

Preheat your oven to 375° Ingredients: 1 Cup Bisquick mix 1 Cup milk 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 Cup sugar 1 Tbs melted butter 2 Tbs not melted butter 1 29 oz can sliced peaches or more if you like a lot of peaches Directions: Mix together Bisquick, milk, melted butter and cinnamon  In separate bowl mix sugar and peaches You can either pour the peaches in the glass dish first or the batter first, I like to put the peaches in first and spoon the batter over the peaches. Cut the remaining un melted 2 Tbs of butter into cubes and place on top of cobbler all over.  Bake for 50-60 minutes

Peanut Butter Fudge

  Ingredients: 2 Cups Skippy peanut butter 2 Cups sugar 1/4 Cup water Directions: In a pot, mix sugar and water and bring to a boil. Let sugar water boil for 2 minutes Add peanut butter to a small cake pan Pour sugar water into the peanut butter and mix quickly Let cool and serve

Pecan Pie

  Preheat your oven to 350° Ingredients:  1/2 Cup sugar 1/4 Cup butter 1 Cup light corn syrup 1/4 tsp salt 3 Eggs 1 Cup pecans or more if you like 1 Pie crust Directions: Cream sugar and butter Add syrup and salt Mix well then beat in eggs, one at a time. Add pecans Pour into 9 inch pie crust and bake for 1 hour, 10 minutes or until a stuck knife comes out clean.

Pie Crust

  Ingredients: 3 Cups flour 1 Tbs sugar 1/2 Cups shortening 1/2 tsp salt 5 Tbs water 1 Tbs vinegar  1 Egg Directions: Mix first 4 ingredients together   Add remaining ingredients and beat lightly to mix. Kneed dough and roll into a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. Roll out and line your pie pan as desired.  This dough CAN be frozen

No Yeast Needed Cinnamon Rolls

  Preheat your oven to 400° Ingredients: 2 cups flour 2 Tbs sugar 4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 3 Tbs butter 3/4 cup milk 1 cup brown sugar 3 tsp cinnamon Directions: For the filling, in a small bowl combine softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon to form a crumbly mixture put in fridge until you get to the 6th step. In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt Cut in softened butter (sometimes your hands are the best tools). Stir in milk to form a soft dough. Roll out dough on a lightly floured into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the remaining filling on the rolled out dough then roll up again. (Small ones should look like that in the next step).  Roll up the rectangle, with a sharp knife slice into 18 small rolls (12 if you want them a little bigger) Bake for 20-25 min  For glaze, combine powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Once rolls are finished, drizzle on glaze and serve warm.

Blueberry Muffins

 Preheat oven to 400° Ingredients: 3/4 Cup butter 3/4 Cup milk 1 3/4 Cup flour 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 Cup sugar 1 Egg 1 Cup blueberries  Directions: Cream together butter and sugar Add milk and egg, beat until smooth Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder in separate bowl Add wet and dry mixtures together and mix until well moistened Toss blueberries in 1 Tbs flour, fold blueberries into batter carefully. Fill lined muffin tins with mix and bake for 20-22 minutes

Chocolate Chip Cookies

   Preheat oven to 375° Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter 3/4 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 2 1/4 cups flour 3/4 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 12 oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips Directions: Melt butter and let cool slightly. Whisk or use a mixer to mix the sugars,eggs, butter and vanilla until smooth. Mix flour, salt and soda in a different bowl. Mix both wet and dry mix together well then stir in chocolate chips. Spoon scoops onto cookie sheet (lines with parchment paper so the bottoms don't burn) Bake for 12 - 16 minutes