Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!

Happy Cinco de Mayo! After an exciting and challenging first year of college, I am happy to be back in Columbus for the summer! This weekend I enjoyed spending time with family and friends for dinner to celebrate the Mexican holiday. We had my mom's tortilla soup, individual taco salads, homemade salsa and guacamole, a delicious tortilla cup dessert, and even a few Mexican sodas (that were fun to photograph!).

Fresh guacamole and salsa - always a good beginning to a Mexican meal!

 Our friends brought these fun and delicious tortilla cup desserts. Everyone had to have seconds! The tortilla is crispy and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. The chilled creamy filling is made with cool whip, cream cheese, and pudding mix. I am definitely going to be making these again!

TORTILLA DESSERT CUPS
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
10 6-inch flour tortillas
1 8-ounce package reduced fat cream cheese
1 cup cold milk (can be fat-free)
1 package (1 ounce) sugar-free instant white chocolate pudding mix
2 cups reduced-fat whipped topping
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips (melted)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cinnamon and sugar. Coat one side of each tortilla with cooking spray and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Turn tortillas over, spray, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Cut each tortilla into four wedges. Place two wedges in each muffin tin to create 20 small tortilla cups (allow bottoms and sides of tortillas to overlap). Bake for 10 minutes and allow to cool completely in pan. Carefully remove cooled cups from pan.

Whisk pudding and milk for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pudding mixture and beat on low until combined. Fold in whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Remove filling from refrigerator and add 3 tbsp. to each tortilla cup.

Drizzle melted chocolate chips over each cup. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Yields 20 tortilla cups.

Recipe from Taste of Home

My mom made these fun tortilla bowls to serve taco salads. They were easy to make with store-bought tortillas and they were perfect making individual taco salads! Yum! Use 10-inch store bought tortillas and cover each side with a little bit of vegetable oil, chili lime seasoning, and salt. Microwave the tortillas for 15 seconds to warm them up and make them easier to work with.Place each tortilla in a 5-inch ramekin, accordion-fold the edges, and bake at 350 degrees for 13 minutes. Let the tortillas cool before removing from the ramekins. Fill with your favorite taco ingredients and enjoy!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Thanksgiving Treats!

It is surreal to be home for Thanksgiving after being away for three months for my first semester in college! Thanksgiving is always one of my favorite holidays to spend time with family, and after being away at school, I was especially looking forward to sharing food and fun times with my relatives. I also like getting together for the holidays because it gives me an excuse to bake! With little time to pick out a recipe and start baking, I turned to my Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. If you followed my blog over the summer, you know that many of my posts came from this this trusty cookbook. Well, I am pleased to say, I ended up with another fool proof, delicious dessert! I knew that my other relatives would be bringing fruit pies and pumpkin desserts, so I opted for the chocolate brownie route. But these are no ordinary brownies, no, they are made with caramel, peanut butter chips, and toasted pecans. So even after filling up on turkey and casseroles galore, my relatives were able to make room for these decadent brownies.

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES WITH CARAMEL, PEANUT BUTTER, AND PECANS
printable recipe

CRUST
2 1/4 graham cracker crumbs (about 16 full graham crackers)
1 1/2 sticks butter (melted)

CARAMEL FIlLLING
1 pound caramels
1/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup pecans (coarsely chopped and toasted in the oven at 350  degrees for about 10 minutes).

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

BROWNIE
1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick butter
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease 9x13 inch pan.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press into greased pan to serve as crust.

Melt the caramels and heavy cream over low heat until smooth. Pour over crust.

Sprinkle toasted pecans and peanut butter chips over caramel.

Melt unsweetened chocolate and butter in medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Pour chocolate into medium bowl and add sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until combined.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture until combined.

Pour the brownie mixture into the pan over the other ingredients.

Bake for 40 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.

Recipe from: The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

My mom and sister also took on a baking project of their own that was too cute not to share! These turkeys are made out of candy and Oreos, and they are, of course, a Pinterest find!

Enjoy!

Berry Cutie Pies

I hope that everyone had a happy and festive Fourth of July! The Fourth of July has always been my favorite holiday because of the fun traditions my family has. Red, White, & BOOM! is the large firework display in downtown Columbus on July 3rd. My family has a favorite viewing spot where we watch the fireworks with family friends each year. This year, everyone was looking forward to the finale which was a tribute to the Columbus Bicentennial. After a 25 minute display, the finale filled the sky and many fireworks were let off in one huge blast. One of the most important parts of the night is the escape route for after the show. Luckily, my dad is an expert at navigating the traffic, and this year we beat the mass exodus and made it home in 18 minutes - practically unheard of since there are over half a million people that travel downtown to watch the fireworks!

On the morning of the fourth, all of my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents get together to watch the Upper Arlington parade. Both of my parents grew up in UA and have been attending the parade since they were children. Our favorite part of the parade is the giant golden bear float and the OSU alumnae band. This year, the temperature reached 100 degrees, and everyone tried their best to stay in the shade! Before the parade, we get together for brunch, and I brought these adorable berry cutie pies!

Berry cutie pies are easy to make, and all of my family loved them! The colors of the fresh berries are perfect for Fourth of July. The crust is a traditional butter recipe, and it is easy to make. The berry filing is made by tossing fresh berries in a mixture of corn starch, sugar, and cinnamon. I found this recipe in my Cutie Pie recipe book which is full of bite-sized delicious desserts!

In addition to the fireworks downtown, we go to the Hilliard fireworks on the night of the fourth. My family always enjoys getting together with neighborhood friends to watch the local fireworks. I have to say, the finale is always breathtaking! Before the fireworks, we went to our friend Kelley's house to sample a festive Fourth of July cake that she made. Not only was it beautiful, but it was also moist and extremely delicious! The only ingredients required are 3 box cake mixes, food coloring, diet sprite, egg whites, and 4 tubs of whipped vanilla frosting. The cake takes time to bake because it is 9 individual layers, but the end result is worth the time in the kitchen. The recipe, which has become viral on Pinterest, can be found on this blog. Thanks for sharing Kelley!

Berry Cutie Pies
printable recipe
BUTTER CRUST:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. sugar

1 cup cold butter

3/4 cup ice water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine flour, salt, and sugar.

Cut in butter to dry ingredients using two knives, forks, a pastry blender, or food processor.

Stir in water until dough forms.

Roll out dough onto floured surface 1/8" thick.

Cut into 3" circles. Place each circle in greased mini muffin tin.

BERRY FILLING:

1 cup blueberries

1 cup raspberries

1 cup strawberries

1 cup blackberries

4 tbsp. corn starch

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Mix together all of the berries (cut strawberries into smaller pieces)

Combine corn starch, sugar, and cinnamon.

Add berries to dry ingredients and coat completely.

Spoon the berry filling into unbaked crust.

CRUMB TOPPING:

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup butter (melted)

Combine flour, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

Melt butter and stir into dry ingredients.

Mix in oats.

Sprinkle on top of pies.

Bake pies for 20 to 25 minutes.

Yields 36 cutie pies.

Recipe from Cutie Pies

Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I decided to have a Valentine's day themed party for friends. It gave me an excuse to make an abundance of delicious baked goods and to have my friends get together on a Sunday afternoon! I displayed all of the desserts on one table and made little signs that said what each dessert was. I knew I had to make red velvet cupcakes because of their festive red color and because they are a favorite among my friends. You can never go wrong with red velvet cupcakes, especially when they are topped with a swirl of cream cheese frosting!

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

printable recipe

6 ounces butter

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 large eggs

2 to 3 tbsp. red food coloring gel

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar until smooth.

Add vanilla and eggs. Add red food coloring until desired red color is achieved.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.

Add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk, until just combined.

Line pan with cupcake liners and fill 2/3 full with batter.

Bake 15 minutes.

Transfer to cooling rack and allow cupcakes to cool to room temperature before decorating.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

8 ounces softened cream cheese

8 tbsp. butter

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2-3 cups sifted powdered sugar 

Cream butter, vanilla, and cream cheese until fluffy.

Gradually sift in the powdered sugar, adding until desired sweetness is achieved.

Pipe onto completed cupcakes.

Garnish cupcakes with fresh raspberry and sprinkles.

Yields 12 frosted cupcakes.

Recipe adapted from Celebrating Cupcakes and Muffins

Enjoy!

Carol's Sugar Cookies

It has been a while since I have had time to bake. Hopefully with the holidays around the corner I will have more reasons to put my apron back on! Last night was the first time I went out for Black Friday shopping, and I now believe this is an experience everyone should have at some time in their life. The first store opened at 10 pm, and I did not go to bed until 5:30 am. I was not looking for anything in particular, but had a few gift cards to spend, so figured it would be fun to go find a few deals. My best purchase? A Cuisinart ice cream maker. I have been wanting one of these so badly! I can't wait to try it out, and I have found some fun ice cream recipes, so be sure to check back soon to see my newest ice cream creations. Tonight I had a little free time, so inspired by the Christmas music that is starting to play on the radio, I decided to make my first Christmas cookies of the season. This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe from my friend Carol. I can never make them taste as good as she makes them taste, but they are always delicious and get eaten quickly because they are so good!

CAROL'S SUGAR COOKIES
4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 lb. butter
1cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp. almond or vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt

Combine room temperature butter and sugar. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add baking soda and salt. Gradually add flour.

Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick and cut into circles with cookie cutter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

ICING
1/2 cup butter
1 lb. powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
4 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients, gradually adding the powdered sugar until well combined.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

I lead a baking interest group for students at my school and decided this would be a fun cupcake for the group to make. I pre-made the frosting, cupcakes, and chocolate swirls, so all we did at the meeting was assemble the cupcakes. I loved the fun cupcake liners that I found at the grocery store. This cupcake uses a half of a doughnut on top of the cupcake to create a domed look. The cupcake could be simplified by leaving out the doughnut and, instead, making the cupcakes larger by filling the liners with more batter before baking. These would be cute to take to any Halloween party.

CUPCAKES:
24 cupcakes
24 honey wheat pretzel twists
12 green spearmint leaves
Orange Sugar Sprinkles
1 chocolate baking square (to melt)
12 plain mini doughnuts (cut in half - to make two thinner circles)


BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
1lb. powdered sugar
2 sticks butter
2 tsp. vanilla
Water or milk

Bake a batch of 24 cupcakes. I used vanilla, but I wish I would have had time to make pumpkin cakes!

Cream the butter for the frosting. Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Add water or milk until the desired consistency is reached (usually 3-4 tbsp).

Cut 12 mini donuts in half. Frost the top of the cupcake with a thin layer of buttercream. Place the cut doughnuts on  top. Frost the entire top of the cupcake and doughnut.

Break the end of a honey wheat pretzel off and place the remaining pretzel all the way into the center of the cupcake. Cut a green gummy spearmint leaf in half and place on top of cupcake.

Melt baking chocolate (not chocolate chips, as they will not harden) and and place in plastic bag with tip cut off. Pipe small stems onto wax paper and allow to harden. Once hardened, remove and place on top of cupcake. Sprinkle with orange sugar sprinkles.

Happy Halloween!

Fourth of July Cakepops

Happy Fourth of July! This year I decided to bring a new treat to our annual cookout festivities with friends and family. After looking at several baking blogs, I discovered the perfect treat that has become wildly popular among the baking community, cakepops! Whoever thought cupcakes were the newest trend better take a look these cake on a stick treats. Smaller than cupcakes, cakepops are perfect to pickup and pop in your mouth without feeling like you have over-indulged. Unless of course you leave these treats sitting out and every time you walk by, can't help picking up another one. Who can resist?

 Put on a lollipop stick, young kids loved carrying these around. They were the perfect size for the kids and the adults couldn't keep their hands off either!

I was encouraged to make what seemed like a fail proof dessert after reading through many online blogs. However I am embarrassed to say that my first attempt at making these was an absolute disaster! Luckily the second go-through was much better!

After mastering my technique, making these cakepops was relatively simple. However, I will say the process is a little time consuming. So, here's how it goes...

CAKEPOPS:

1 box cake mix (any flavor - avoid "butter" recipes)

Ingredients called for to make cake

1 can of frosting (any flavor)

1 or 2 14 oz. bags of Candy Melts (I used Wilton)

Sprinkles

Bake the cake in a 9x13 pan as indicated on the box. Let the cake completely cool. Crumble the completed cake into a large mixing bowl. The crumbs should be very fine without and large clumps. Add 1/4 to 1/2 can of frosting. It is better to add less frosting than you think you will need. (This is where I went wrong the first time I made the recipe.) Stir the mixture with a rubber spatula or with your hands - do not use an electric mixer!

To shape the cakepops, I used a melon baller and then used my hands to make sure the balls were compacted. Place the balls on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until chilled.

Melt the Candy Melts in the microwave. Start with 30 seconds, stir, then in increments of 15 seconds until the  chocolate is completely melted. No not burn the candy melt, or it will be ruined.

Dip the end of a lollipop stick in Candy Melt and insert it into the chilled cakepop. Dip the entire cakepop in the Candy Melt. It is best to dip the cakepop at an angle to prevent it from falling off the stick. Tap the cakepop on the edge of the melting dish to remove excess candy melt. Sprinkle the cakepops with any type of sprinkles. I enjoy using non-perils and sugar sprinkles.

I let my cakepops harden and served them on a styrofoam base. I created the base using a piece of styrofoam that was about 3 inches thick. I put holes in the styrofoam that were about 2 inches apart using the end of a lollipop stick. Alternate the spacing of holes to prevent the cakepops from touching while drying. Cover the styrofoam with plastic wrap so that it can be cleaned and re-used.

I used vanilla cake  and vanilla frosting. However, you can use any flavors you want. Chocolate cakepops are like very moist, dense brownies. Wilton makes Candy Melts in a variety of fun colors. You can use coloring to dye your own white candy melts, however it must be oil based. Regular food coloring or Wilton icing paste will ruin the chocolate. I found the Candy Melts, sprinkles, and lollipop sticks in the baking aisle at Michael's Crafts store.