Carrot Cake

Happy Birthday to my Hubby!  I don't think I every actually tried a Carrot Cake until my husband and I started dating.  Crazy I wasted 15 years of life not knowing the glory of a good Carrot Cake.  This cake is super moist (worst word EVER) full of flavor and the cream cheese frosting is PERFECTION.  You must make this.

 

Ingredients for Cake:

• 2 cups Flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups oil
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, lightly drained (reserve juice)

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 c butter (softened)

8 oz cream cheese (softened)

1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice

1 tsp vanilla

1 lb powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup coconut

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease two 9 inch cake pans.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla, mixing well.
3. Slowly stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and mix well.
4. Mix in drained pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.
5. Pour even amounts into each cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.
6. Cool cakes completely before removing from pan.
7. In a large mixing bowl whisk the butter and cream cheese until nice and creamy.
8. Add in vanilla, pineapple juice, cinnamon and coconut.
9. Slowly stir in sifted sugar until smooth.
10. Invert first cake onto a plate or cake stand.
11. Apply a generous amount of cream cheese frosting to the top of the cake.
12. Gently place the second cake on top of the cream cheese and frost the top and sides with remaining frosting.
13. Top with more walnuts or coconut, optional.

 

Copycat Cheesecake Factory Carrot Cake Cheesecake

 
Warning:  If you don't want to find yourself hiding in a corner with a fork and a whole cheesecake, DO NOT MAKE THIS.  This is my first attempt at a whole cheesecake and it was FANTASTIC.  Anytime my husband is up north for work I remind him that a cheesecake would be delicious with dinner!  This has worked ONE time when I was 8 months pregnant.  I asked for Vanilla Bean and he came home with Vanilla Bean and this Carrot Cake one and I was in heaven.  This is so amazing.

Ingredient's for Cheesecake:

• 16 ounces cream cheese
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Ingredient's for Carrot Cake:

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 8 oz can crushed pineapple (reserve juice and drain very well)
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup walnuts

Ingredient's for Frosting:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoon butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice
• dash salt

Directions:

1. Grease a 9 or 9 1/2 inch springfoam pan. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
3. For cheesecake: In a large mixer, mix together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in flour, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
4. For carrot cake: in a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Slowly stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and mix well. Mix in drained pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.
5. Spread half of the carrot cake batter over the bottom of greased pan. Drop large spoonfuls of cheesecake batter over carrot cake batter. Top with remaining carrot cake batter followed by remaining cream cheese batter.  Gently spread the cheesecake over with a knife.
6. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until cake is set.
7. Let cool to room temperature.
8. For frosting: Mix all ingredients until smooth in an electric mixer.
9. Frost top of cooled cheesecake and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

 

Blackberry Cobbler

Tis the season for blackberries!  I love everything blackberry.  My blackberry pie filling is so versatile and whenever I am in a pinch and feel like pie but don't want to fuss with crust, I make cobbler.  So easy and the streusel topping is amazing!

Ingredients for Filling:

4 cups blackberries, thawed

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup flower

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Ingredients for Streusel:

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

dash of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl add all filling ingredients and mix together.
3. In a separate bowl, mix all the topping ingredients together with a fork to form a crumbled mixture.
4. Pour filling into a 9x9 baking dish or individual short mason jars pictured above.
5. Sprinkle streusel evenly over blackberry filling.Bake for 20-30 minutes, until streusel topping is golden brown.
6. Cool and serve.

Mason Jar Lid Pies

These are seriously the cutest most adorable pies I have ever seen.  Do you see that mini pie piece? When the boys golf, the girls bake and bake we did.  Adorable and Scrumptious!

Ingredients for filling: If you have filling left over you can freeze for later!

• 4 cups blackberries, thawed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup flower
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Around 12 wide mouth mason jar lids

Ingredients for Crust:

• 3 cups sifted flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Crisco
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons water

Ingredients for crust topping/Dusting:

• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup white sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl stir together all ingredients and form into two equal balls. 
2. Chill dough in refrigerator for an hour
3. After dough is chilled preheat oven to 425 degrees.
4. Place dough on a flat surface that is dusted with flour
5. Roll dough into two equal pie crusts
6. Place rolled dough over as many mason jars it will fit.  Mine was about 5
7. Repeat with second crust and lids.
8. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut around the lids leaving just enough dough to hang over a tiny bit.
9. Press dough into each lid and pinch sides against the lids like you would do in a pie pan.
10. Roll the remaining pie scraps into another crust and set aside.
11.  In a large bowl add 3 cups of the berries with the flour, sugar and vanilla.
12. Stir together while kind of lightly mashing the berries.
13. Add enough pie filling to almost fill the crust.
14. Using the remaining crust cut out little shapes or make individual lattice patterns and place over berry mixture.
15. Brush the crust lightly with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
16. Place individual pies on a cookie sheet.
17. Bake in oven for 15 minutes at 425 degrees.  Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 20 minutes.  Check on pies every so often.  If crust is golden brown before the suggested baking time you can remove early.
18. Remove from oven and let cool.

Apple Dessert Pizza

This is not what I was initially going for however, I am so GLAD I got lazy.  I was planning on individual apple pie crisps but it all seemed like to much work on this amazing Washington day!  Have you ever just randomly stopped by Round Table Pizza for an personal pan dessert pizza?  I have!!  Although the one near my house doesn't have them but now I can make them myself!!

Ingredients for Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cold and diced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 4 tablespoons ice water

 
Ingredients for Toppings:

• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon butter, soft
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 granny smith apple, sliced

Ingredients for Glaze:

• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon milk
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Directions for Dough:  Add flour, salt and sugar into a food processor and grind together for around a minute.  Add in diced butter and blend until the butter pieces are the size of peas.  Add vanilla, water by the tablespoon and grind until it starts to form together.  Remove and roll into a ball and cover with plastic wrap.  Place in refrigerator for at least one hour and let come to room temperature before rolling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll dough into crust leaving it about 1/4 inch thick and place in a lightly greased pie pan.  Melt 3 tablespoons butter in the microwave and stir in 3 tablespoons brown sugar until dissolved.  Pour onto dough and coat evenly.  In a small bowl mix together 1 tablespoon sugar and cinnamon.  Place apples into the pie and sprinkle with 2/3 of cinnamon sugar mixture.  In another bowl add 1 tablespoon soft butter, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon white sugar and flour.  With a fork mix together until nice and crumbly. Sprinkle over apples and top with the remaining cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes or until sides are golden brown.  Meanwhile whisk together all topping ingredients and drizzle over dessert pizza while still warm.  If you can not serve this right away heat it up right before serving!!

Key Lime Pie

'

Growing up my cousin Mona would always make Key Lime Pie and it was my brothers favorite.  I started making it a few years back after listening to Remy talk about how much he loved it for so many years.  I think I surprised him for his birthday and have been making it often ever since.  He loves this recipe, as do I.  It is so simple and tastes fantastic.  Very thick and creamy with the perfect tartness to go with it. 

Ingredients:

• 1 9" prepared graham cracker crust or homemade
• 2 cans sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup key lime juice
• 4 egg yolks

Directions:  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl add milk, lime juice, and egg yolks and beat on high for about a minute or until everything is thick and creamy.  Pour into crust and bake for 15 minutes.  Cool completely and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.  Garnish with lime zest and cool whip if desired before serving.  Store in refrigerator.

Pineapple and Angel Food Cake Trifle

So I had a pint of heavy whipping cream leftover from Thanksgiving and decided to whip something up.  I was craving a Pina Colada so I decided to add pineapple to the whip cream and I thought Angel Food Cake would be a great pairing.

Ingredients:

• 1 store bought Angel Food Cake
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 20 oz can pineapple, drained and crushed

Directions:  In a mixing bowl add all ingredients, except cake.  Mix on high until firm.  In a trifle or individual mason jars add cake and cream, repeat layers.  Refrigerate for an hour and serve.

Golden Graham Indoor S'mores

I can not even begin to tell you how delicious this is.  For some reason I have never been a fan of S'mores even though I like the individual ingredients.  After making these I realized I am not a fan of toasted marshmallows.  I am going to have to try to microwave the traditional S'more.  I made these a couple days ago and I am still picking at them however, they taste the best the same day.  The Golden Grahams keep getting a little softer each day.

Ingredients:
6 cups Golden Grahams
1 10 oz bag mini marshmallows
1 10 oz bag chocolate chips
1 stick butter

Directions:  Place the bag of chocolate chips in the freezer.  In a large pot melt butter over medium/low heat and add 3/4 bag marshmallows stirring constantly until melted.  Remove from heat and add cereal 2 cups at a time coating completely and cool for about 5 minutes.  Add the remaining marshmallows and chocolate chips.  pour mixture into a lightly greased 9x13 pan and lightly press flat.  Place in refrigerator to cool.

White Chocolate Fluff

This was incredibly airy and fluffy.  I was intending on it being a mousse but fluff sounding more like it.  Definitely delicious but it is very very rich.  Next time I might try adding crushed oreos or just using it as a dip with animal crackers or Nilla Wafers. 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 bag white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• chocolate shavings, optional

 

Directions:  In a medium saucepan heat milk until hot stirring constantly.  Add chips to a bowl and pour hot milk over the top.  Let sit for one minute then stir until chips are all melted and mixture is creamy.  Cool in refrigerator until it thickens but does not set.  In a mixing bowl  whip heavy whipping cream,  powdered sugar, and vanilla until peaks form.  Gently fold in chocolate mixture and let set in refrigerator for about an hour.  I used a Ziploc bag to pipe into glasses.

Cruch Apple Pie

I came across this recipe on Paula Deans website.  I changed it up a bit but for the most part its a semi homemade version of Paula Deans!  This recipe also makes two pies.
Ingredients:

• 2 packages refrigerated pie crusts
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Dash Salt
• 3 1/2 cups peeled, chopped cooking apples
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons butter, chopped into small pieces

Crunch Topping:

• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar 
• Dash salt
• 2 tablespoon butter, at room temperature

Directions:  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line 2 9 inch pie pans with a sheet of pie crust.  In a medium bowl stir apples, applesauce, salt, sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Place mixture into each pie pan and top with butter pieces.  With the remaining pie crust cut into strips and apple to the top of the pie in a lattice design.  In a small bowl combine all topping ingredients and cut with a fork until it is a crumble mixture.  Sprinkle mixture to the top of each pie.  Sprinkle lemon juice to the top of each pie as well and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Cookers Note:  I served my pie with homemade whipped cream.  Whip 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until peaks form. 

Homemade Hostesss Cupcakes

These were so much fun to make and everyone raved about them.  I am not a fan of chocolate cake but I actually did enjoy these.  Such an easy show off recipe.
Ingredients for Cake:

• 1 box devils food cake
• Water, eggs, and oil as directed on box
• 1 can easy Pillsbury easy frost or vanilla whipped frosting if you have a decorating pen kit.

Ingredients for frosting:

• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup semi-sweetened chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup

Directions: Bake cake as directed and cool.  Using the Pillsbury easy frost squirt frosting into the middle of the cupcake until it starts to crack a little at the top.  See picture below.  Add chocolate chips to a medium bowl then bring heavy cream to a soft boil in a sauce pan.  Once heated add to chocolate chips and stir until melted then add corn syrup.   Once cupcakes are cooled completely dip the tops into the frosting.  Frosting will harden as it sits.
Cookers Note:  I used a decorating icing tube to make a hostess cupcake design on some of mine and I also just made a little circle design on some.

Mini Cheesecakes

I made these for my husbands holiday party this year and as far as I know everyone liked them.  Its always a good sign when no leftovers are brought home.  A little time consuming but easy to pull together.
Ingredients:

• 3 8 oz packages cream cheese
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 8 oz sour cream
• 1 can cherry pie filling
• nilla wafers

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans with paper liners.  In large bowl cream together cream cheese, 1 cup sugar.  Add in the eggs one at a time then add vanilla.  In a ziploc bag add about 30 nilla wafers and crumble them.  Add the nilla crumbs to a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons melted butter and mix together with a fork until it becomes a crumble.  Cover the bottom of each cupcake pan with crumble and flatten to form a crust.  ( my melon baller seemed to work the best for this)  Then fill each cupcake tin about 3/4 way full with cream cheese batter.  Bake in oven for 30 minutes.  While cupcakes are baking in a small bowl add 1 cup sugar, 8 oz sour cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla together for topping.   Let cupcakes cool about 5 minutes and the centers will drop down a little and add the topping to each cupcake and bake for 5 more minutes.  Cool cupcakes completely then add cherry pie filling to the top of each.  Serve cold and enjoy.
Cookers Note:  You can use low fat cream cheese and sour cream for a lighter version.  Also you can substitute the pie filling to any kind you prefer.  I also think they would taste fantastic with mandarin oranges or pineapple.

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

My brother and I share the same fascination for peanut butter so I wanted to make something extra peanut buttery for the both of us.  These are extremely rich and heavenly and did I mention the filling tastes like reese's pieces.  I found a recipe online for similar cookies but I shortened it up a bit to make them semi-homemade.
Ingredients:

• 2 packages ready to bake peanut butter cookies
• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons margarine
• 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions:  Bake cookies as directed.  In medium bowl cream together sugar and margarine.  Add vanilla, peanut butter, and whipping cream and stir until smooth.  When cookies are done and cooled spread filling onto half of the cookies, then place the other half of cookies on top to form a sandwich.
Cookers Note:  I think this would taste great with oatmeal or chocolate chip cookies as well.  If you really want to make then fancy dip half of the cookie in melted chocolate.