Peanut Butter Banana Pudding

27 Saturday Mar 2010

Posted by in Dessert, Recipes

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Yes, you read that correctly, peanut butter, bananas and pudding. I had already planned to make banana pudding for dinner and just happened to come across this recipe and decided to “tweak” tonight’s dessert.

This was a very simple recipe and turned out to be a quite delicious combination. If you like peanut butter and banana’s, I highly recommend trying this recipe. My kids, had seconds and would have gone for thirds if I let them.

To check out the original recipe, head over to Peanut Butter Boy.com.

Peanut Butter Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz sour cream*
  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (Jif)
  • 2 cups skim milk
  • 8 oz whipped topping, thawed for 30 minutes
  • 2 small packages instant vanilla pudding
  • 3 bananas, in 1/4″ thick slices
  • 1/2 box (16oz) Nilla Wafers

Instructions:

In a large bowl whisk together the sour cream and peanut butter. Then whisk in the whipped topping and milk until no clumps remain. Stir in the instant pudding until well incorporated and mixture begins to thicken.

In a large glass serving dish or trifle bowl, form a layer of Nilla Wafers, flat side facing up. Cover with a thin layer of pudding, followed by a layer of banana slices. Add another thin layer of pudding and repeat, wafers, pudding, bananas… Garnish with extra wafers on the side if desired.  Top with a few vanilla wafers and any other garnish. Peanut Butter Boy suggested chocolate shavings and/or fresh berries. I used some honey roasted peanuts.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

*The original recipe calls for non fat greek yogurt (or sour cream) but I had to toss my greek yogurt as it was slightly past its expiration date, and I didn’t want to chance making anyone sick!

Tunnel of Fudge…cake (Fudge Ribbon Cake)

07 Sunday Mar 2010

Posted by in Cakes & Pies, From a Mix, Recipes

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Today I was on a chocolate baking frenzy. I woke up early, too early. My body has an internal alarm clock that usually goes off around 4 am. So I took advantage of my time this morning and baked two different chocolate desserts. I needed on for our Bible study, and my oldest daughter was scheduled to bring “something sweet” also.

I spent a lot of time trying to decide what kind of cake I would make. Finding that I was completely out of powdered sugar pretty much sealed the deal on this cake. I would definitely make it again. It was easy to prepare and quite impressive! The cake is from the Eagle Brand milk people. The recipe call for sweetened condensed milk, hence, the reason they have it on their site! (duh!)

I was hesitant about how the “swirl” would take place with the described preparation. I was amazed though at how the cream cheese mixture dispersed all the way through the cake batter to the top of the cake (i.e. the bottom of the pan). There was a nice 1/2″ or so “tunnel” on the top of the finished product. Kudos to the Eagle Brand company for good directions!!!

The changes I made to the recipe were: 1) I used a dark fudge cake mix, and 2) The ganache… remember, I didn’t have any powdered sugar, so I had to compromise. I used a recipe from Anna over at Cookie Madness, one of my favorite daily blog visits. Check her blog out!

Fudge Ribbon Cake (via Eagle Brand Milk)

Cake Ingredients

  • 1 (18.25 oz.) box chocolate cake mix, plus ingredients called for on box
  • 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 (14 oz.) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache (from Cookie Madness)

  • 3 oz bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli Bars)
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 tablespoon corn syrup
  • 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter

Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray 10-inch fluted tube pan with flour no-stick cooking spray.

Cake Directions:

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Beat cream cheese, butter and cornstarch in medium bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, egg and vanilla until smooth. Pour evenly over cake batter. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan. Cool. Drizzle with Chocolate Glaze or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

  

Ganache Directions:

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. In a heatproof bowl, combine the remaining 3 ounces of chopped chocolate with the corn syrup and butter. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand until melted, about 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Let the ganache glaze cool until thick but still pourable, about 5 minutes.

Pour the ganache over the cooled cake.Let the cake stand until the glaze is set, at least 30 minutes, before serving. I set some of the ganache aside and once the first layer cooled, I topped it with some re-headed ganache lending a more decorative look.

**Looking back over this post, I noticed that I made an intial mention of sweets for my daughter… but didn’t mention what it was. I threw together a (lazy) Duncan Hines brownie mix together. It’s nice to have from scratch brownie recipes, but it’s also nice to have a quick fix that tastes great!

Chocolate Turtle Cake (Betty Crocker)

04 Thursday Mar 2010

Posted by in Brownies & Bars, Cakes & Pies, From a Mix, Recipes

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As a last-minute “birthday cake” I found this recipe on my iPhone while working out. Yes, I iPhone while on the elliptical…  Anyhow, one of my apps is a Betty Crocker recipe search. I was looking for a quick easy recipe to put together. I didn’t have a lot of time, or to be honest desire, so this recipe fit the bill. A plus was I had all the ingredients called for.

The recipe is highly rated on the Betty Crocker site. Some of the reviewers noted that the caramel hardened quite a bit once cooled, but I didn’t have that problem at all. The cake is very moist, but not “mushy”. It is very rich too, I do suggest adding whipped topping or ice cream to mellow out the richness of the cake a little. I served the cake warm with vanilla bean ice cream. It was wonderful.

Photo from the Betty Crocker site

(I still have to photograph the dessert and post it, but I dislike posting recipes without pictures to influence you to make it!)

Chocolate Turtle Cake

A Betty Crocker Recipe -

Ingredients:

  • 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® devil’s food cake mix
  • 1 1/3 cups water
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 bag (14 oz) caramels
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 bag (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup) *I used Ghirardelli dark chocolate discs
  • Ice cream or Whipped cream, if desired
  • Caramel and chocolate topping, if desired
  • Chopped pecans, if desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease or spray bottom of 13×9-inch pan.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low-speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour half of the batter into pan. Bake 22 minutes (25 minutes for dark or nonstick pan). Refrigerate remaining batter.

Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan**, heat caramels and evaporated milk over medium heat, stirring frequently, until caramels are melted. Stir in pecans. Pour caramel mixture over warm cake in pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Spread with remaining batter. Bake 25 minutes (29 minutes for dark or nonstick pan) or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Cool at least 30 minutes. Serve with ice cream, drizzle with topping and sprinkle with pecans. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

**I microwaved the caramel according to the directions on the bag. It resulted in the same product a saucepan would have.

Birthday Bling & Buttercream

21 Sunday Feb 2010

Posted by in Cakes & Pies, From a Mix, Recipes

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Today my oldest niece is celebrating her 17th birthday and since I can’t seem to sleep until a decent hour, I figured I could throw a cake together for her birthday. So at 5 this morning the oven went to 350 degrees…

I needed something easy, yet fun. I know I won’t win any prizes with this one… especially considering the icing was thrown together at the last-minute and the cake hauled around town all morning, with a maniac driver I might add. But I had fun, and my niece had fun. Hey, we all had fun.

The cake just a good ‘ole yellow cake mix, but the frosting is homemade. It is a classic buttercream (from Wilton), my go to frosting recipe. I’m not even sure I measure the sugar anymore, I just add until I get to my desired consistency. Though I wouldn’t recommend that. I do recommend the taste test. Add sugar until you reach your best taste – that could be extra sweet, or just minimally sweet. I tend to go to extra sweet!

A little food coloring and some Wilton decor later, I have this. Here’s to hoping my niece has a great day!

Classic Buttercream Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla, clear if possible
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Mix butter and shortening until creamy. Add vanilla, then add sugar about 1 cup at a time. Add milk until desired consistency.

I know, not much on the directions. For the whole story, check out the recipe at the Wilton site.

BLT Wraps & Cheesy Soup!

19 Friday Feb 2010

Posted by in Entree', Recipes, Soups

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Everyone is about “easy”, especially when it comes to feeding thier family. Tonights dinner was no exception. I was tired and would have been happy making PB&J sandwiches. I was able to get motivated however, and prepared this easy meal that went over quite well.

I recently saw a recipe at on myrecipes for BLT wraps, printed it, and added it to my dinner list. The next day, I came across the same recipe at recipegirl.com. An omen? Probably not, but her “lightened recipe” was more enticing to me, and it will become a regular in our house. This is a simple 5 ingredient recipe that can easily be adapted to include just about any ingredient.

BLT Wraps

from RecipeGirl

  • 1 cup light mayonnaise
  • ½ cup dried tomatoes in oil, drained well & chopped
  • Eight (10-inch) flour tortillas
  • 1 large head iceberg lettuce, chopped (I only used about half)
  • 16 bacon slices, cooked & crumbled
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Combine mayonnaise & tomatoes in a small bowl. Spread evenly over 1 side of each tortilla, leaving a ½ inch border. Sprinkle lettuce & bacon evenly over tortillas; sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roll up tortillas tightly; cut in half diagonally, and secure each half with a pick.

Yield: 16 half-sandwich wraps

Source: Adapted from Southern Living

 

To go with the wraps, I use a 3 ingredient soup that was also a hit with the family. Even better, my teenage daughter, who has a great dislike for carrots, had no idea they were even in the soup. (That is until she reads this post!) This is a Kraft / Velveeta recipe that is quick and tasty, and gets a serving of vegetables in one bowl. The only thing I added was some bacon that was extra from the wraps and 1 tablespoon of corn starch to thicken the soup. Next time I will use 2 bags of vegetables.

 

 Velvety Vegetable Cheese Soup

from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

 Ingredients: 

  • 1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot blend
  • 2 cans (14 oz. each) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • ¾ lb.(12 oz.) VELVEETA (2% Milk) Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut up

 

Directions:

Place vegetables and broth in large saucepan; cover. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 min. or until vegetables are tender.

Mash vegetables with potato masher to desired consistency. (I used an immersion blender). Stir in Velveeta; cook 5 min. or until cheese is melted and soup is heated through, stirring frequently. Note: If you want a simple soup recipe, this is it, or, it is a great base for any fabulous soup. Try adding potatoes, corn, other vegetable…the possibilities are endless!

Per serving: 1 Cup – Reduced fat version (From Kraft’s website)

Calories  170, Total fat  6 g, Cholesterol  40 mg, Sodium  1170 mg, Carbohydrate  10 g, Dietary fiber  2 g, Sugars  6 g, Protein  15 g

Grands Pull Apart Rolls

15 Monday Feb 2010

Posted by in Muffins & Quick Breads, Recipes

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Grands Pull Apart Rolls

Ok, so I have been monkey bread crazy lately, but hey, it’s an easy way to impress people with a rich and decadent dessert. This one is basically the same recipe as the Monkey Bread I just posted recently, except it uses Pillsbury’s Grands Cinnamon Rolls versus regular biscuits. It also is coated with the icing that comes with the rolls. Using cinnamon rolls to make monkey bread is kind of like using ganache on cupcakes verses frosting. Oh, and let me tell you the aroma of this baking is to die for. Two words here, “Eat Me”.

Grands Pull Apart Rolls (aka Monkey Bread)

Recipe adapted about a thousand times from Pillsbury

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1  teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 cans Grands Cinnamon Rolls

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine butter and brown sugar and stir until smooth. In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Slice cinnamon rolls in quarters and roll each in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place in greased bundt pan. Pour butter mixture over sliced rolls.

Bake for 40 – 45 minutes. The rolls are done when it is firm or “springy” when pressed. *Watch for over-browning of top rolls. You can place a sheet of foil loosely on the top if needed.

Before icing - look at the gooey brown sugar!

Coconut Cake with Raspberry Filling

25 Monday Jan 2010

Posted by in Baking, Cakes & Pies, Dessert, Recipes

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Preface: Before you look at the list of ingredients in this cake stop. The cake is really, really easy to prepare. Use whatever frosting you’d like, but try the cake…

After a weekend of being shut in with sick kids, the stir crazy feeling was overwhelming, so why not bake? I have been actively searching for coconut cake recipes to prepare for a friends upcoming birthday, and I am not brave enough to prepare a “first time” cake to be served publicly… score family.

 We don’t do coconut very often, yet no one, even the kids, will turn it down. The cake recipe is from one source, and the frosting from another with a little tweeking. Note, the cake batter uses powdered sugar. I have never seen this in a cake before, and was leery about it, but it was fantastic.

 Speaking of frosting. I had a very hard time deciding the best type of frosting. Supposedly the “classic southern” coconut cake uses a whipped/meringue type frosting, verses a buttercream, but I grew up southern and buttercream was on every cake I’ve ever eaten. Anyway, this recipe intrigued me and settled my frosting dilemma.

Final thoughts? The cake is a keeper. Big time! The frosting was interesting. The original recipe was good, but not very “sweet” so I added some powdered sugar. I think it helped also to thicken the frosting slightly. I will definitely put the cake in my top favorites list, but will probably do a buttercream frosting next time. I just really want to find the “perfect” combination.

Has anyone tried the 7 minute frosting method? What did you think? Was it meringue like?

  

 Coconut Cake with Raspberry Filling

 Cake Ingredients:
  •  3 cups (297g) sifted cake flour (sift before measuring)
  •  2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 pound (450g) powdered sugar
  • 4 egg yolks, well beaten *Beat until well combined, about 1 minute
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract (or coconut)
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 4 egg whites, well beaten

Cake Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 – 9″ round cake pans with baking spray.

Combine the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Sift these ingredients 3 times. In a mixing bowl, cream butter thoroughly; add sugar gradually. Continue creaming until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and beat well. Add flour mixture alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in coconut and vanilla. Fold in egg whites gently until well combined.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Makes two 9-inch layers, or three 8-inch layers. (The original recipe link states to make it in 8″ pans, I used 9″ pans and sliced the layers in half.)

Frosting Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Milk
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp coconut extract
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • Raspberry Preserves (at least 1 cup) *choose a good quality
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut

Frosting Directions:

In a saucepan, use a whisk to blend 1 cup milk into 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat, and cook and stir two minutes more. Remove from heat. Cover the surface with plastic wrap. Cool to room temperature without stirring.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, and extracts until light and fluffy. Add cooled milk mixture to butter mixture a quarter cup at a time, beating on low-speed after each addition until smooth. **Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well afterward. Beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar if necessary to desired thickness.
Final Preparation:
Slice each layer in half. Spread a thin layer of preserves between the sliced layers*. Alternate preserves and frosting between the layers then frost the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle coconut on top and sides of the frosted cake. Slice and serve!
*Note, on the layers that I placed the preserves, I also added a thin layer of coconut.

Monkey Bread

23 Saturday Jan 2010

Posted by in Breakfast, From a Mix, Muffins & Quick Breads, Recipes

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Monkey Bread

It’s been a while since I posted on Monkey Bread (March of 09 to be exact), but I make it several times a month. With only 5 ingredients, even the simplest of bakers can create it. There are quite a few variations on how to prepare the bread, but I think the end result is almost always the same.

If you are looking for a melt in your mouth/sink to your buns recipe, try this OMG Cinnamon Roll Cake too.

Monkey Bread

Ingredients:

  • 2 rolls (8 count each) refrigerated biscuits
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the inside of a 12″ fluted or tube pan with cooking spray.

Remove biscuits and separate. Slice each into quarters. Combine sugar and cinnamon in bowl or large Ziploc bag. Roll biscuits in cinnamon sugar and arrange in baking pan. (If using a bag, drop several biscuits at a time in the bag and shake to cover.)

Combine melted butter and brown sugar, stir until smooth. Pour evenly over biscuits.

Bake for 28 – 32 minutes, or until the center is no longer doughy. I often lightly cover the pan with foil during the last 10 or 15 minutes to prevent the top from over browning. Another way I check for “doneness” is to tap on the top of the bread with my finger. If it is soft and does not spring back, it needs a few more minutes.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

23 Saturday Jan 2010

Posted by in Cookies, Recipes

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Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

A recipe classic, oatmeal raisin cookies fit about any occasion. For those who are not raisin lovers, chocolate chips make a great substitution. I have two Oatmeal Raising Recipes that I turn to. As my “go to” recipe, I use this Land O’ Lakes recipe. It has always yielded a tender cookie that remained soft even a day or two after it is baked. The second is a favorite of my husband and oldest daughter. The only drawback (if you would call it one) is that you need a little pre-prep time. It is a wonderful recipe though (recipe post to come).

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

From Land O’ Lakes

  • 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp water
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt*
  • 2 cups quick-cooking oats
  • 1 cup raisins
     

Heat oven to 350°F.

Combine brown sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs, water and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Add all remaining ingredients except oats and raisins; beat until well mixed. Stir in oats and raisins.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely. 

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

*If you use unsalted butter, as I do, increase to 1 tsp salt

Pecans Pie – Lyle’s Golden Syrup

26 Saturday Dec 2009

Posted by in Cakes & Pies, Recipes

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Pecan Pie

Another homemade baking first for me (joining the pecan roll) is this beautiful pie. I never realized how simple pecan pies were to make. I looked for a trusted recipe from other bloggers and found this one from The Traveler’s Lunchbox. Since I had a jar of Lyle’s Golden Syrup that I have yet to use, I knew this was the recipe to try. I loved the way this pie turned out and the compliments innumerable. If you like pecan pie, try this recipe.

Perfect Pecan Pie (Recipe from The Traveler’s Lunchbox)

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups (200g) shelled pecan halves
  • 1 cup (250ml) golden syrup, or if you must, white corn syrup
  • 1 cup (200g) firmly packed dark brown sugar (the darker the better)
  • rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons (75g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature, slightly beaten
  • 9-inch unbaked deep-dish pie shell
  • unsweetened whipped cream, for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the pecans on a large baking sheet and toast in the oven until just fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the golden syrup, sugar, salt, butter and vanilla until smooth. Whisk in the eggs. Pour the mixture into your 9-inch unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle the cooled pecans over the top. Place on the center rack in the oven and bake for about 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the center puffs slightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the crust begins to brown too much, cover it with foil.

Serve warm or at room temperature, with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream.