Malted Chocolate Brownies

Original Recipe from Real Simple Magazine

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 t. vanilla extract

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup malted milk powder

1 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 11.5-oz bag milk chocolate chips

1 5-oz package of malted milk balls or whoppers, roughly chopped or smashed in plastic bag

Flaky sea salt, for topping

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9 inch dish with parchment (or coat with shortening).

2. Heat butter and sugar in saucepan over medium-low until sugar has mostly dissolved, 5-7 minutes.

3. Whisk eggs and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in cocoa, malted milk powder, salt and baking powder.

4. Slowly pour butter mixture into egg mixture; stir until smooth.

5. Add flour and stir until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread batter evenly in prepared baking dish. Top with malted milk balls and flaky sea salt; press in toppings.

6. Bake until edges pull away and a toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean, about 30-34 minutes. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

K's Chocolate Mug Cake

Ingredients:

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 T. cocoa powder

1/8 t. baking soda

1/8 t. salt

3 T. milk

1 T. water

1/4 t. vanilla

Instructions:

Mix all together in a mug. Microwave for about 1 minute, 45 seconds.

Strawberry Shortcake Poke Bundt Cake

Recipe found HERE.

Cake
1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix
1 cup milk
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 eggs

Strawberry Poke Mixture
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 t. lemon juice

Cream Cheese Glaze
3/4 cups powdered sugar
2 T. butter, softened
1 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 or 2 T. milk
1/4 t. vanilla

Garnish
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 10-12 cup bundt cake pan with cooking spray and flour.

2. In a large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute, scraping bowl constantly. Increase speed to medium; beat 2 minutes, and pour batter into pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes.

3. While it's cooling, use a food processor or blender to puree strawberry poke mixture ingredients until smooth. transfer to 4 cup glass measuring cup and set aside. While still in pan, poke holes in cake with end of wooden spoon at 1/2 inch intervals going almost to the bottom of pan. Use a wet paper towel to wipe ends of spoon after each poke. Carefully pour poke mixture over holes in case, using spoon to direct mixture into holes. If necessary, poke existing holes to make room for more mixture.

4. Cool 40 minutes; refrigerate in pan for 2 hours. Remove from fridge and run metal spatula around the outer and inside edges of pan to loosen cake. Turn upside down onto a serving platter.

5. In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese glaze ingredients with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth. If too thick add additional milk, 1 t. at a time, until desired consistency. Glaze cake as desired; garnish with strawberries.

Connecticut Crunch Ice Cream

We took a trip out to Arizona a couple years ago and in our true family fashion, we hunted for the best ice cream. We tried as many places as we could in our area and our favorite, by far, was the Phoenician Crunch ice cream at our resort. I looked all over for a copycat recipe to make at home, but had to kind of improvise because I didn't see one out there. This recipe is to use in my kitchen-aid ice cream maker. I'm using this recipe for the sweet cream ice cream.

Ingredients:
2 cups Grape Nuts Cereal
2/3 cup Semi-Sweet chocolate chips
Heath bits
1/2 cup white sugar
2 T. corn starch
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup light corn syrup

Instructions:
The day ahead, put ice cream bowl in the freezer. Also, melt chocolate chips and mix to coat grape nuts cereal. Lay on a baking sheet to harden. Once dry, store in container until you're ready to make ice cream.

In a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar and corn starch. Pour in cream, milk and corn syrup and whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it comes to a gentle boil. Turn the heat down and let it bubble/boil for 30 more seconds. Remove from heat, strain through a mesh sieve (this was kind of pointless to me) into a large bowl. Cover bowl with saran wrap or wax paper (directly on surface of ice cream to avoid a skin forming). Put in fridge to completely cool down.

Once cool, move to freezer for 1 - 1 1/2 hours. When time is up, transfer to the set-up ice cream maker and make as directed. Mix in the chocolate covered grape nuts and heath bits upon completion. Transfer to a freezer-safe bowl and store in freezer.

Enjoy!

Bubble Coffee Cake

Recipe from Kinsey's Consumer Science Class.

Ingredients:
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
3 T. butter
1 package refrigerator rolls or biscuits (8-10 in a package)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place butter in 8 inch round or square baking pan and place in oven to melt.
Meanwhile, measure cinnamon and both sugars in a bowl or ziplock bag.
Open a can of rolls and place on a cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut each individual roll into two even parts and set aside until needed.
When butter is melted, remove pan from oven and place on a heatproof surface.
Sprinkle cinnamon-sugars mixture over melted butter; stir mixture.
Arrange the 20 "bubble" pieces on top of the mixture in an even pattern.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Invert on a serving plate.
Pull apart to serve and enjoy!

Old Fashioned Banana Cream Pie

Recipe from food.com

This is the recipe I seem to make whenever I have ripe bananas and I want to make a pie without going to the store for anything. Usually I have all these items on hand.

Ingredients:
1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked (or make your own)
3 cups whole milk
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 t. salt
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 T. butter
1 t. vanilla
3 bananas

Instructions:
1. Have baked 9-inch pie shell ready
2. In large saucepan, scald the milk
3. In another saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt;l gradually stir in the scalded milk
4. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook until thickened.
5. Cover and, stirring occasionally, cook for 2 minutes longer
6. In a small bown, have the 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten, ready; stir a small anount of the hot mixture into beaten yolks; when thoroughly combined, stir yolks into hot mixture.
7. Cook for one minute longer, stirring constantly
8. Remove from heat and blend in the butter and vanilla
9. Let sit until lukewarm.
10. When ready to pour, slice bananas and scatter in pie shell; pour warm mixture over bananas.
11. Serve with whipped cream and fresh sliced bananas on top.

Ice Cream Sandwich Sundae Ice Cream Cake

We made this for Kinsey's 10th birthday. It was delicious!
Original recipe here.

Ingredients:
24 ice cream sandwiches
1 (12 oz) jar caramel topping
1 (12 oz) jar hot fudge topping
1 (8 oz) Cool Whip
Chopped Peanuts (optional)
Maraschino Cherries

Instructions:
1. Line bottom of 9x13 pan with half of the ice cream sandwiches. Cut them to fit, if needed.
2. Spread the jar of caramel topping over top of ice cream sandwiches. Freeze for 10 minutes.
3. Arrange remaining ice cream sandwiches on top of the caramel layer, cutting to fit, as needed.
4. Spread hot fudge over ice cream sandwiches.
5. Spread Cool Whip on top and freeze until ready to serve.
6. Top with cherries and peanuts to eat. Store in freezer for up to 1 month.

Easy Homemade Brownies

Took these into school for Em's 6 birthday.
(from allrecipes.com Original recipe HERE.)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white sugar
2 T. butter
2 T. water
1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/2 t. vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

Instructions:
1. Preheat over to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 square pan.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and water. Cook over medium heat until boiling. Remove from hear and stir in chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture. Spread evenly onto the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies set up. Do not overbake! Cool in pan and cut into squares.

To make variations:

Salted Caramel
Stir 1 cup toffee chips into batter before baking. Spoon caramel sauce over cooled, sliced brownies and top with a pinch of sea salt.

Double Malt
Beat together 1 1/4 cup malted milk powder, 1 stick room temp butter, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup heavy cream and 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted. Spread over cooled brownies in the pan. Top with 1 bag (7 oz) malted milk balls, halved.

Loaded-Up Pretzel Cookies

From Taste of Home Magazine April/May 2013

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups miniature pretzels, broken
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups mil chocolate M&Ms or chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients.

2. Shape 1/4 cupfuls of dough into balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Per Serving 295 cal., 13g fat (8g sat. fat), 40 mg chop., 311 mg sodium, 42 g carb, 1 g fiber, 2 g pro.

Hot Chocolate Cookies

Original Recipe click HERE. Got recipe from Kelly Phillips. Left out for Santa Christmas of 2014.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour

4 packages (or 1/2 cup plus 3 T.) Hot Chocolate Mix (store bought or homemade)

1 1/4 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then blend in the vanilla.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, hot chocolate mix, and baking soda and salt. Slowly add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop dough balls onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 7 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven. Working quickly, carefully add about 5-7 mini marshmallows to the top of each cookie and gently press. Return to the oven and bake an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the marshmallows start to puff. Remove from the oven and let cook on the cookie sheets for 10 minutes before removing. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Apple Nachos

Ingredients:
2-3 crispy apples (we love honeycrisp)
5 T. peanut butter, warmed in microwave
sliced almonds
chopped pecans
flaked coconut
chocolate chips (mini, if you want)
marshmallows

Instructions:
Slice apples into thin pieces and place on dish. Drizzle with melted peanut butter. Add toppings and drizzle with another layer of peanut butter. YUM!!

Pudding Pops

My girls loved these and Ryan even said, "Wow, these taste like the real thing!"

Ingredients:
I small box instant chocolate pudding
2 cups milk
1 small can evaporated milk
1/4 cup sugar

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix on med/high for 2-4 minutes, or until well blended. Pour into molds and freeze. If using dixie cups, when partially frozen, insert popsicle stick into center of each. Enjoy!

Scones

From Emerson's teacher, Mrs. Fitzgerald. She loves them.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, cubed
1/2 cup blueberries or Mini Chocolate Chips
1 cup heavy cream

Instructions:
In mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter and blend until misture resembles oatmeal. Add blueberries or chips. Mix. Add heavy cream. Stir until moistened. knead 5-10 times. On a floured surface, pat dough into a rectangle. Dough should be about 3/4" thick. Cut into 3-4" triangles. Place 2" apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven 12-15 minutes on center rack.

Makes 12 scones. Add green food coloring for St. Patricks Day scones!

Strawberry Shortcake

recipe from my mom

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 T. sugar
3 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
6 T. butter
2/3 to 3/4 cup milk

Instructions:
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter. Finally, stir in milk to make a soft dough. Put entire dough on floured surface at an inch thickness. Use a round cutter to cut out the biscuits and place in round cake pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Cut up strawberries. Shortly before you are ready to eat the dessert, pour some sugar over them and use cutter to cut them into very small pieces. Spoon over biscuits and serve with whipped cream.

Fruit Crisp

 recipe from Gillian, originally from Simple Cooking Magazine

Ingredients: 
Pick seasonal fruit for middle.
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup oats
3 TBSP light brown sugar
3 TBSP sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 TBSP unsalted melted butter

Instructions: 
Put fruit in ungreased 8X8 inch baking pan
Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl, with 2 forks or hand stir in butter until mixture is crumbly and then place on top of fruit and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Valentine Ladybug Cookies

Original recipe found on Our Best Bites (I love that site!!!)

I used my mom's sugar cookie recipe. It made about 30 large heart shaped cookies.

Then I made this Glace icing. Lots of great pictures about this icing on the original site.

Glacé Icing

1lb powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 C)
6T milk or water
6T light Corn Syrup (6T is equal to 1/4 C plus another 2 T)
1 t extract (I use almond because I use almond in my sugar cookies)

With a whisk, combine sugar and milk until smooth (no lumps!) Then stir in corn syrup and extract.

You will use this same recipe for both glazing and piping. Thickened, you can pipe outlines, and as you thin it, you can use it for “flooding” cookies.  Make sure to let them dry overnight to fully harden for stacking.

For ladybug heart cookies:

1. Mix your icing.

2. Place about 2 T-1/4 cup of white icing for the eyes into an icing bag. Set aside.

3. Remove 1/4 cup icing and add pink food coloring. Mix with 2 T. more powdered sugar so it's slightly stiffer. Place that icing in an icing bag. Use this slightlly stiffer pink icing, trace an outline of the heart on each cookie, and then trace a line across the heart about 1/3 of the way from the tip. Allow icing to firm up for 15-20 minutes. Use this time to mix other colors.

4. Mix 1/3 to 1/2 cup icing with red food coloring. Use a small spoon to carefully fill the curvy part of the heart.

5. Mix 1/3 cup icing with black food coloring. Reserve about 1 T. for the irises of the eyes. Place the majority of icing in an icing bag or use a spoon to fill in the "head" of the ladybug.

6. Take a break and let the cookies dry for about 45-60 minutes.

7. Now that the icing has hardened use the bag of black icing to dot your ladybugs however you like. Use the white bag to make two white eyes. Use a toothpick to dot black onto the white eyes.

All done! Now let them sit and dry for about 12-24 hours before stacking them.

Gingerbread Cookies (Molasses Cookies)

Recipe from my grandmother, Viola Day Spencer

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 egg (optional)
2/3 cup molasses
2/3 cup hot water or buttermilk
3 t. Baking soda (3 t. = 1 T.)
1 t. Baking powder
1 t. Cinnamon
1 t. Ginger
Approx. 5 cups flour

Instructions:
Cream butter and super. Combine all other ingredients. Mix soft. Chill and roll it out. Cut into whatever shape you desire. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes.

Makes 4 1/2 dozen, depends on shape and size of cookie cutter.

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

This recipe from Our Best Bites.

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening
1/2 c. real butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
optional: 1 tsp peppermint extract
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 12 ounce bag dark chocolate chips
48 Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped (one 10 ounce bag)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Cream together softened butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Meanwhile, combine the baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.
To prevent cookies from flattening out, refrigerate dough for 30-60 minutes. Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until just set, but centers are still soft, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to cooling rack. Top each cookie with an unwrapped Candy Cane Kiss. Allow to cool completely, long enough for the Kiss to harden. If necessary, after the cookies have cooled, they can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to re-solidify the Kiss.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

My notes:
I put cookies in oven for 8 min, 30 seconds. I made a double match and it ended up making 124 cookies, using small cookie dough scoop. I packaged up the cookies in bins for large groups and in smalled bags for individual people.

Cinnamon Applesauce

I've been using this recipe to make multiple batches of homemade applesauce with all the apples we picked a couple weeks ago. So far it's been pretty good. I think it's a keeper. I have a batch on the stove as I type.

Ingredients:
4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool and then mash to desired consistency. I use a food processor to make it the texture of storebought. I think the kids like it better that way.

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

(From Cooking Light's new cookbook "First Foods: Baby Steps to a Lifetime of Healthy Eating")

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoon grated lemon rind (optional, I left out)
2 large eggs
2 cups frozen blueberries (tossed in 2 T. flour)
cooking spray
2 T. granulated white sugar

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place oats in food processor; pulse 5-6 times or until oats resemble coarse meal. Place in large bowl.
3. Add flours and next 5 ingredients to oats; stir well. Make a well in center of mixture.
4. Combine buttermilk and next 3 ingredients (through eggs). Add to flour mixture; stir until just moist.
5. Toss berries with 2 T. flour, and gently fold into batter. Spoon batter into 16 (I used  more like 18-19) muffin tins coated with cooking spray, sprinkle 2 T. of granulated sugar evenly over batter.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove from pans immediately; place on wire rack.

Calories: 190 each