Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

This is a recipe I really wanted to try for a birthday cake cookie and it was a HUGE hit! I have been asked for this recipe by half the people who tried it. It makes a large, soft cookie. I have also included the frosting recipe for American Buttercream frosting.

*Note: I doubled this recipe to make a 9×13 inch cookie, if you want a circular cookie in an 8 or 9 inch pan then cut all the ingredients in half.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs
4 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups all purpose flour
4 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, add flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Dough will be thick.

Chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper into the bottom of your cake pan to help the cookie not stick. Spread the dough out into the cake pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

American Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp water

Beat the shortening and butter until smooth. Slowly add 3 cups of powdered sugar. Mix until combined. Mix in the vanilla extract and 1 tbsp water. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add more water to get the right consistency.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Pudding Poke Cake

Hello everyone! Sorry I haven’t been on in a while, it has been a hectic semester of working and classes – hopefully I will be posting on a regular basis again here soon!To start off the new round of posts I chose a recipe I pulled from Pinterest that involves cheesecake…because you know how much I LOVE cheesecake! I took it to a work golf outing and everyone wanted the recipe, so I guess it was a hit!

Ingredients:
1) 1 box Red Velvet cake mix (eggs, oil & water)
2) 2 (3.4 oz.) boxes instant Cheesecake-flavored pudding
3) 4 cups milk
4) 1 (8 oz.) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed
5) 10 Oreo cookies, crushed

Directions:

Prepare the cake according to the box directions and pour into a 9×13 inch pan. Bake according to directions (350 degrees). Let the cake cool a few minutes after removing from the oven. Then, using a wooden spoon handle or similar (I used a wine corkscrew!) to poke holes in the warm cake. You will need to make sure the holes are big enough for pudding to go into.

In a medium bowl (large enough for 4 cups of milk), whisk together the pudding mix and 4 cups of milk until the lumps are gone.

Pour the pudding over the cake, making sure you get as much pudding into the holes as possible. Then take a spoon or spatula to spread out the pudding on top of the cake and gently push the pudding down into the holes.

Place in the fridge to cool for about two hours. Once the cake is completely cooled, spread the whipped topping over the pudding.

Place the Oreos in a ziplock bag and crush the Oreos into small to medium sized pieces. Spread the crushed Oreos over the top layer of the cake. If you have time to do this right before serving it will ensure the Oreos have a nice crunch!

Tips:
1) I had to make my holes bigger after I poured on the pudding, it is better to make them bigger than you think – the pudding will be thick.
2) Keep refrigerated!

Bacon Egg Boats

Talk about a quick, easy, and filling breakfast recipe!
I found this idea on Pinterest and decided to try it out – loved it! It takes about 40 minutes total (including cook time) and makes enough for four people as a single breakfast item, or twelve people as a side item!

What you need:

12 strips of bacon
8 eggs
Milk to scramble eggs
salt & pepper
Shredded cheese

Directions: Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Place one strip of bacon around the outside of each tin.

Whip together eggs, milk, and salt & pepper. Fill the inside of each bacon strip cup with the mixture. Top with shredded cheese. *I would like to try adding some veggies to this mix, such as bell peppers or spinach leaves!

Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Enjoy!

Zesty Pineapple Baked Chicken Breasts

This is a recipe I found in a pinch! I was planning to fry up some frozen chicken breasts and then decided I wanted something a bit more tasty! I jumped on the internet and found a glaze that consisted of ingredients in my kitchen – and it turned out amazingly! I am a big fan of anything pineapple (as can be seen in this Pineapple Grilled Cheese) and I thought this sounded wonderful as a chicken breast glaze.

The whole process takes about an hour, including preparations, so it is very doable. The first time I made this I used 3 chicken breasts and the second time 2, it worked perfectly for both! Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 lbs. chicken breasts (4 breasts)
2 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Pineapple Glaze:
8 3/4 oz. can drained, crushed pineapple or pineapple tidbits
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 tbsp. mustard
1 tsp. soy sauce

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan (I used a bread pan as I did not have a 9inch pan and it worked perfectly!), place chicken pieces skin side up. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.

Prepare glaze with the ingredients above and pour over chicken. Return to the oven and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes or until chicken is a deep golden brown and fork tender.

Notes:
To prepare with drumsticks and thighs: Bake 20 to 30 minutes after glazing. Wings: Bake 10 to 20 minutes after glazing.

RumChata Cheesecake

For starters, sorry it has taken me so long to get back into posting! I FINALLY got my internet hooked back up and I am (hopefully) back!

Now, this is a recipe I wanted to try the moment I first discovered it, I mean cheesecake and RumChata – where can you go wrong?? However, I started with RumChata Cupcakes (which were amazing and you can try as well)! I made the cheesecake when I was home with my family and it turned out wonderfully. It was the first cheesecake I have ever made that did not crack in the oven and it tasted wonderfully with all fruit toppings! 😀

Following is the recipe from rumchata.com, I followed it exactly, with pictures!.

Recipe:

15 graham crackers, crushed
2 tbs butter, melted
32 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup RumChata
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tbs vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 9″ spring form pan. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press into the bottom of the pan.

 

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Slowly blend in RumChata and eggs. Mix in sour cream, vanilla, and flour until smooth. Pour filling over prepared crust. Bake for 1 hour.

Turn off oven and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours to prevent cracking. Chill in the refrigerator until serving. Top with dollops of glazed strawberries or cherry pie filling to finish, if desired.

Busy Time of Year…

To start, I apologize for my decrease in postings this month! I have started a new job and moved to a house with zero internet connection! 😦 Sadly, this will not pick up until February as that is when I will finally be reconnected. Thus, I wanted to say thank you to all of my followers for their continued support and hello to the random visitors I receive daily – it is greatly appreciated!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season(s) and are looking forward to the upcoming holidays (which ever they may be!). I plan to have some Valentine Day themed posts coming soon, stay tuned…

DIY Heart Ring

This was an idea a group of us have seen on Pinterest several times and were simply curious to see if it worked! Only one girl (out of 5) was able to perfect the shape, the rest of us only ended up with bunched-up wire! So if you’re looking for a fun craft/activity for a group of friends give this a try – cheap and amusing! 🙂

What you will need: (1) Small wire-choose your own width (2) Alligator pliers

What you do: Use the alligator pliers to bend the wire into the heart on one end and a small loop on the other end. The wire is bendable enough to fit any finger size but you will need to measure around the finger to make certain it fits without falling off your finger.

Photos to show you the process & final:

Have fun!

Popsicle Snowflakes

This was the craft completed by one of my friends at our craft day! She found this idea on Pinterest and decided to try it out so she could decorate the two large windows in her living room.

What you will need: popsicle sticks, buttons, hot glue & hot glue gun, spray paint in white, blue, or glitter, and some ribbon.

You start by deciding what design or pattern you want your snowflake to take (draw them out ahead of time or just go with the flow!). Once you have chosen you need to connect the middle sticks with a button (medium to large size) with hot glue so the sticks have a base to flow out from. Also, this way they do not overlap if you don’t want them to and it adds a fun color or decoration in the middle!

Next you use hot glue to attach the popsicle sticks together in the pattern you decide and as big as you want it to be. Just remember the bigger you go the more flimsy it may become.

Then you spray or paint the completed snowflake with the color you chose. My friend planned to spray them with white and then top it with blue glitter, but the glitter spray can broke. 😦

Last you use fun christmas ribbon to hang your new creation!!

*More photos-she made two different ones.

Holiday Treats: Christmas Wreath Cookies

Post two on my home CHRISTMAS BAKING!! Here is another of our favorite, and traditional, holiday treats: Christmas Wreath Cookies.

This is a small twist on the marshmallow-cornflake treats you can make for any time of year. You will need: a bag of large marshmallows, 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), about 4-5 cups of corn flakes, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 2 tsp green food coloring, cinnamon drops (or similar), parchment paper, and a cookie sheet.

Steps

Put the whole bag of marshmallows and the stick of butter in a microwavable bowl. Microwave about 2 minutes at a time, stirring in between. You want the marshmallows and butter to be smooth but not liquified. Add the vanilla and food coloring, stir in.

Add the corn flakes slowly, stir as you add about a cup at a time.

Use a spoon to place a 1-2 inch “blob” on the wax paper (on a cookie sheet). You want to shape them into a circle if possible. Note: You have to move quickly when placing them on wax paper because the marshmallow mix will get really sticky quickly (say that 5 times fast!). Last, place a cinnamon drop in the middle of each wreath. You can add several around in a circle if you want. Place in a cold area to harden.

Enjoy!

Holiday Treats: Reindeer Poop

I am home for the holidays and that means CHRISTMAS BAKING!! Cooking/baking is a passion shared by both me and my mom, which means we break out all the stops every year. Here is one of our favorite, and traditional, holiday treats: Reindeer Poop.

I’m not certain where my mom found this recipe but it has become a tradition in our household. I have heard them called Reindeer Noses before as well, so if you would rather call them that – go for it! It is very simple, you will need: circle pretzels (normally come out in December), Hershey’s Hugs, plain M&Ms (we normally use the Christmas colored ones but the store didn’t have them), parchment paper, and a cookie sheet.

Steps:

Set the oven to 200 degrees. Place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Lay the pretzels out flat on the wax paper.

Place one Hug in the middle of each pretzel. Put the cookie sheet in the middle of the oven for about 3-4 minutes (you want the Hugs to be melted but NOT brown).

Pull the cookie sheet out and quickly squish an M&M into the middle of each Hug. You want the Hug to spread out and fill the whole pretzel. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer or some place cold for about half an hour to harden.