Coconut Delight

I've been dying to try out this recipe for Ina Garten's Coconut Cupcake for forever. I swear Ina Garten can do no wrong.

If you love coconut, but don't want to take the time to make my coconut cake, this is the way to go.

Try these out, their delicious.

Tip: You can half the frosting recipe, or do what I did and use the left over frosting for homemade oreos (it compliments them well).

Easter Dessert

Last year I spent a lot of time making this yummy Coconut Cake. Although it was totally worth it, I think I'll keep it simple this year.

Tonight we're heading over to my sister's house and I'm bringing my favorite cookies. If you haven't tried my Sugar Cookie Recipe yet, you're going to want to. They really are the best.

I recently made these for a church fundraiser and they sold like hot cakes!

Easy...Peasy

I saw this recipe over at Sweet Paul and figured it was so easy that I didn't have much to lose by trying it. It literally took me 4 minutes to whip up and throw in the oven. The only change I made was that I only cooked it for 20 minutes instead of the suggested 30.

It's nothing to fawn over, but is actually quite good. It would shine best served with ice cream and chocolate sauce on top. Keep this recipe in mind when you need something quick and easy.

Valentine's for Him or Her

Valentines can be such a fun holiday. Really the hardest part can be finding that perfect gift. As usual, my ideas center around great food. So I thought I'd share some gift ideas that anyone would love, male or female.

How fun would it be to sign up for couples cooking lessons? There are numerous places around the Salt Lake Valley that offer them. Try Les Madeleines (I hear great things about them), Sur La Table, or Caputo's Market & Deli, to name a few.

For a fun and creative gift, head on over to Color Me Mine and paint a pretty plate, then top it off with some homemade sugar cookies. Trust me, they'll notice all the effort that went into this gift. Or even better, make a date of it and do both projects together!

I love this idea I found over at Stephmodo - Print up a t-shirt declaring your love for your Valentine, but wait for a big reveal by keeping it under wraps (hide under your coat) until you go out to dinner (may I suggest Stoneground) and when you sit down take off your coat. I bet they get a kick out of it!

I know a box of chocolates is a bit cliche, but if you were to give me a box from Condies Chocolates it would be worth every calorie. They really are the best, and I happen to know the family that runs it. Trust them when they say that they really do hand dip every chocolate (they even taught me how).

If you want to keep it simple, cook a great dinner at home and avoid the long waiting lists at restaurants. I've been dying to try this simple french meal from Stephmodo (can you tell I love her blog?). Instead of spending a bunch of money on gifts, try giving your Valentine a thoughtful card and let them know how much you love them.

Decadent

I love serving this recipe because I know it will please the masses. It a rich, moist, decant chocolate cake and it's so easy to make! Whenever I'm in a hurry I whip this up and you can't mess it up (my favorite kind of recipe). It's from the "101 thing to do with a Cake Mix."

Death By Chocolate
1 chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1 small package instant chocolate pudding
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat eggs, sour cream, water, and oil together in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed. Add cake mix and pudding mix. Stir in chocolate cihps. Place batter in a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45-55 minutes until a fork comes clean. Cook cake in pan. When cool, sift powdered sugar on top of cake, or kick it up a notch and pour chocolate frosting on top.

Perfection! Chocolate Chip Cookies

I feel like for years I've been searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. I was starting to believe it didn't exist. Even when I did get a recipe, it was always hit and miss. I know I promised this recipe a while ago, but I wanted to make sure that it really was a "no fail" recipe.


This recipe came from a good friends mother who passed away. I wish I knew her better, especially since she must have been an excellent cooks because all of her recipes always turn out to fabulous!



Deanna's Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter flavored vegetable shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
2 cups chocolate chips

Cream shortening, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Sift flour, soda, and salt separately, and add to mixture. Stir in nuts and chips. Scoop and roll into balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Makes about 32 cookies.

I've made this recipe probably a dozen times and every time they come out crisp on the edges and fluffy in the middle.
Tip: try the cookies frozen, they are really good.

Cupcakes

I provided the refreshments for a church function a couple of nights ago and was pretty pleased with how it turned out. I went with a cupcake theme and served red velvet, pumpkin, and german chocolate. My favorite is the pumpkin (which I already shared a while back), but the german chocolate is a close contender. I have to admit that this is the only one I cheated on and made from a box, but the frosting I made from scratch, which you can find here.

As far as the decor went, I kept it pretty simple and stuck to things I already owned, with the exception of the acorns which I found at the park.

Tip: Since I like cake served chilled, it worked best to freeze the cupcakes and frost them frozen and then they will thaw within an hour.

It's time for Pie!

Remember the Mini Pies I made? I think about them all the time, and if they weren't so time consuming I would make them all the time. I wonder if these mini pie molds from Williams Sonoma would make them go any faster? I know they would make them prettier.

Halloween Fun

I love giving my neighbors Halloween treats, especially if they are homemade and packaged pretty. Since I figure it's not appropriate to hand them out to them while they are trick-or-treating, I try to get them out earlier. I frequently get asked for my pumpkin chocolate chip bread recipe, so I figured I'd share it with everyone and hopefully make some for my neighbors this year.

pumpkin chocolate chip bread
5 eggs, well beaten
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
2 cups oil
4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons cloves
1 teaspoon gound ginger
1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

Cream eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin and oil. Add dry ingredients slowly and combine thoroughly. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into 4 greased and floured 9"x5" pans. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

I like to be generous with the spices.

Just wrap up the bread in plastic wrap, tie a pretty bow on it and use cute tags like the ones I found on etsy.












Image via flicker

Halloween Party

Have you ever had your calendar fill up before the month even starts? That's my October. It leaves me wondering if this is any indication of what the up coming holidays are going to be like? Since I really don't have time to plan a Halloween party, I figured I could at least put together what I would do if I had the time.

For invites I would do something similar to these from Martha Stewart.com. You can find the boxes and some moss for cheap at the craft store. Years ago I made fingers that look similar to this out of sugar cookies and almonds dyed red for the fingernails. Super cheap, super easy, super crafty!

I would definitely serve some homemade doughnuts. A couple of options are to follow the recipe I found on Better Homes and Garden for Pumpkin Doughnuts. You can also check their site for 28 Yummy Pumpkin Recipes! I've also been dying to try the easy version of homemade doughnuts by buying pillsbury biscuit dough, make a hole in the middle, fry them in vegetable oil, and make a glaze of powdered sugar and juice from an orange.

For decor I would find some jars to fill up with classic Halloween candy and top with a pumpkin, like I found on Martha Stewart.com. The great thing about this is that they make for great decor and party favors. My version would probably be similar to this, but I would use some canning jars I have sitting around to fill with candy to give to all my guests.

Have a Happy Halloween everybody! By the way, you can use all of my ideas if you invite me to the party!

It's that time again!

I bought myself 3 huge cans of pumpkin and I can't wait to use it all. I've been dying to eat the pumpkin waffles I made last year, but I was hoping to add a new recipe to the mix. So I decided to revisit my love/hate relationship with Martha Stewart and put her to the test once again.

I went with Martha Stewart's Pumpkin Cupcakes and I was pleasantly surprised. Super moist, super easy, and great presentation. Give them a try, let me know how it goes.

These could also pass as muffins if you forego the icing.

Oh My!

Getting family together for Mother's Day is difficult. I feel like the Mother's still end up doing all the work on a day that is supposed to be for them. So this Mother's Day I had my family over, and all the Mother's had to do was show up. We had a great BBQ (husband was the chef), played a little badminton, and I made these amazing Brownie Peanut Butter Cups. Heaven! Try em, you won't be dissapointed.

Just a little tip: don't use as much peanut butter as it calls for.

Easter Dessert

Stephmodo has done it again! The moment I saw this recipe for Coconut Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting on her blog, I knew I had to test it out. It turned out so good, and I think it would be a wonderful Easter dessert. You definitely need to use Martha's Cake Frosting Tips to ensure your cake turns out pretty. Stephmodo adds Lemon Curd to this classic cake, unfortunately I didn't have time to test it out, but after trying the cake, the moisteness of the curd would compliment the cake really well. Serve slightly chilled for best results.

If anyone wants some cake come on over, I've got plenty left!

Enjoy!

Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

4 tsp baking powder

5-6 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Gradually stir in remaining ingredients. You want the dough to be soft, but not too sticky. Chill until cold, then roll it out and cut it into shapes. Make sure you cookies are at a nice thickness (thin sugar cookies are never good). Bake at 350 deg for 8-15 minutes (time varies by thickness). Once the bottoms are slightly golden they're done!

Frosting:

5 Tbl butter (room temperature)

3 Tbl crisco

2 tsp vanilla

approx 8 cups of powdered sugar

approx 10 Tbl evaporated milk
Cream butter and crisco. Mix everything together until you get a good consistency.

*This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies! So the frosting recipe is large so you have enough to frost every cookie!

Martha Stewart and I have made up

So, I really wanted chocolate, and since this recipe looked so easy, and I had all the ingredients, I decided to give Martha another chance (see my previous post about our quarrel). These cookies were not only easy, but delicious as well. In fact, I think they are my new favorite cookie!







Surprise Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally (I think it’s better to use a mound of miniature marshmallows)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.
Using a tablespoon or 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begins to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.

Chocolate Frosting – Makes 1 cup
2 cups confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
Place confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in butter and cocoa powder. Add milk and vanilla, and whisk until well combined.

Martha, I missed you dearly. I’m so glad we could have the chance to make up.


This is Trevor, my Sous Chef (self proclaimed) and taste tester. He wanted to make sure he got adequate mention for making the frosting. It really was good frosting honey!

This is what my neighbors are getting, how about yours?

White Wheat Bread

5 cups hot tap water

1/4 cup oil

3/4 cup honey

1 T salt

2 T instant yeast

10-12 cups flour (half wheat and half white)

In bread mixer put water, oil, and honey, (put honey in same cup as oil and it comes out a lot easier!), salt, and 1/2 the flour. Start to mix and then add yeast and enough flour until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. Let machine knead for 6 minutes. Let rise for 10 to 15 minutes (this step can be eliminated if you're in a hurry!). Put oil on counter and roll or pound into loaves. Put into greased pans and let rise 15 to 20 minutes on top of warm stove. Bake at 350 deg for 30 minutes. After putting bread on cooling racks, rub stick of butter all over the top (this makes your bread look pretty). Make 4 medium sized loaves.

Raspberry Butter

1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter, room temperature

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the berries and powdered sugar until softened.

Remove from heat and let cool.

Add butter and mix until combined. This may take a few minutes, but it will come together.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Ding Dongs

Everything is always better homemade than store bought, right? Well, I decided I wanted to make ding dongs, and it turned out so easy and simple (best of all, the ingredients are always on hand at my house). So this is what I did:

Make cupcakes (I just use a box - sooo much easier!), but only fill them about half way (you don't want them to over flow out the top of the pan). Once cooled I "inject" the bottoms with this filling (see picture):

Filling:

1/4 cup all-purpous flour

1 cup milk
1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whisk together the flour and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Set aside to cool completely.

Once cooled, beat the 1/2 cup shortening, butter, sugar and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the milk mixture and continue to beat for 4 more minutes.

You'll want to inject the cupcakes about 3 - 4 times to make sure you get a good amount of filling in there.

For the chocolate topping you can do a ganache (which is good just messier) or use a dipping chocolate (also good, but much prettier than the ganache - depends on what you want).

Dipping Chocolate:

Melt 12 oz chocolate

Add 2 teaspoons shortening, mix until smooth

Then dip the tops of the cupcakes into melted mixture. If serve cold I've found they taste better.

I can't get enough Pie

Remember those hostess individual fruit pies? I loved them when I was little.

Well, I haven't had them in forever, and I figured they can't be that hard to make, right?

What I did was make the dough (see recipe in an older post below), and cut into circles. I then did an apple filling, but there are so many options! Place the filling on the dough and fold over, crimp, and add slits on the top (just like you do on a regular pie). Bake as directed, and right after they come out of the oven and are hot, pour a glaze (mix powdered sugar and milk together) on top. Serve cold. They are the best two days after baking.

I want brownies, not cake

Okay Ladies. So I made these the other night and was really excited about them. Martha Stewart claimed they were gooey, which I feel was false advertising. In which I can't help but to post a letter claiming my injustice.

---
Dear Martha,

I tried your Pumpkin Swirl Brownie recipe the other day and was gravely dissapointed. Seriously, I do love your food. Albeit, you make things way harder than they need to be, but I love your recipes/crafts nonetheless. Here's my problem; out of all people, you should know the difference between cake and brownies. Since apparently you don't, I will re-cap for you.
Cake: a food that is usually sweet and baked. When eaten, it makes you feel like you've eaten nothing but air. Most people are deceived into believing that this is not only an appropriate form of dessert, but delicious as well, since it has become the center of many celebratory events (i.e. weddings, birthdays, etc.), but trust me, this is only a ruse.
Brownies: a flat, baked square or bar, which is a denser, richer form of a cake. When eaten you are left feeling satisfied and happy that the calories you have consumed were well worth it.
Do you see my dilemma? When you told me that your Pumpkin Swirl Brownies were A) brownies, and B) gooey, I feel as though you have tricked me.
If I were to form a lawsuit, based on the claim of false advertising, the damages would be based on the following:
1. I spent 1.5 hours prepping, stirring, and baking the so-called “brownies.”
2. I waited for 1 hour in intense anticipation for the “gooiness” I was promised, only to be disappointed.
3. I wasted way too many calories eating air, instead of the rich denseness I kept thinking was coming with the next bite.

4. All those products have now been wasted, in which I have been forced to return to the store to replenish them.
5. Last, but not least, the God-like image I had categorized you in has been shattered. It really is a great and tragic loss.

So, I would prefer that from this point forward, you have learned a valuable lesson. First, that cake and brownies are significantly different, and second, I will never be able to look at you the same.

Sincerely, your former long time follower,

Tish

P.S. A free subscription to your magazine might make me feel better.
---

Ladies,
I only post this recipe, not to advertise it, but in hopes that someone can help make it what it claims to be. I’m open to all suggestions. Is it the amount of eggs/flour? The size of the pan? What?

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

Ingredients - Makes 16
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used semi-sweet)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used 1/8 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups solid-pack pumpkin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or other nuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan or dish. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; butter lining.
Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until fluffy and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture.
Divide batter between two medium bowls (about 2 cups per bowl). Stir chocolate mixture into one bowl. In other bowl, stir in pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer half of chocolate batter to prepared pan smoothing top with a rubber spatula. Top with half of pumpkin batter. Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer.

Work quickly so batters don't set. With a small spatula or a table knife, gently swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with nuts.
Bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.

Photo courtesy of marthastewart.com

Pumpkin Obsession

With the start of fall, my pumpkin obsession begins! These Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are always a hit.

3 cups canned pumpkin
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons nutmeg
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups flour
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, vegetable oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and salt, and mix well. Add flour and mix to combine. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Optional: frosting them with cream cheese frosting

Enjoy! Tish