S'mores Bars

Brandon is out of town, and the boys want to bake.  I couldn't think of any better new recipe to try than to make S'mores Bars.  These turned out well.  The marshmallow cream stays nice and sticky and gooey, and if you eat them warm, they are pretty darn close to an actual S'mores.  I think I prefer the S'mores Cookies that I make to the bars, but that is just a personal preference; they are both great!  I hope you take a moment and enjoy my style of camping!

Carrot Cake Cookies

Okay, so I had a sandwich cookie theme this year for the Christmas in July cookie exchange.  I found these carrot cake cookies and had to try.  I think they are my favorite cookie now.  Part of that might be that they seem 'healthy' even though I'm sure they really aren't!.  They turned out GREAT and I can't wait to make these over and over and over again!

Ingredients
1 c. brown sugar

1 c. sugar

1 c. butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda 1 t. baking powder 1/4 t. salt 1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice 2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats 1 1/2 c. finely grated carrots, (about 3 large carrots)

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. butter, cut into pieces
1 c. powdered sugar
1 t. pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper, and set aside. 
3. Combine sugars and butter; beat until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.  
4. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until well combined. 
5. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice; stir to combine. 
6. Gradually add flour to butter mixture; mix on a low speed until just blended.  
7. Mix in oats and carrots. 
8. Chill dough in refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour.  
9. Using a 2t. scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies 
10. Repeat baking process with remaining dough.
11. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until browned and crisped, rotating pan halfway through baking.
12. Let sit a few minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.  
13. Once cooled completely, spread cream-cheese filling onto a cookie. Sandwich together with a second cookie. 
14. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Oreo's

I had NO idea that you could make something like Oreo's at home.  I also had no idea that it would be easiest thing in the world to make.  This might be dangerous.  While, I don't think these taste quite the same, they are quite similar to Oreo's.  I like that I know what is in them and that I can make them myself.  They taste a lot more like Oreo's once you start dunking them in milk!  Dunk away, my friends!

Ingredients

For the chocolate wafers:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar [see recipe note]

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter

1 large egg

For the filling:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.  Line to jelly roll pans with parchment paper or silicone mats.
2. In a food processor, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. Add butter and egg and continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Place 1t. size balls on sheets.  Spacing them about 2 inches apart.
4. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
5. To make the filling, Mix butter and shortening with mixer at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
6. Place filling in pastry bag, or Ziploc bag with corner snipped off.  Squeeze filling onto half of the cookies.  Top each cookie with another cookie of equal size.
7. Dunk cookies in a large glass of milk.

Birthday Cake Puppy Chow

I wanted to make this for Parker to take to school tomorrow for his birthday treat, but it turns out that the candy coating may have been processed on equipment that processed nuts, so it became a no go for Parker's class. However, Aiden's class has no allergies, so he will be taking this.  Parker will be taking Melting Moments.  I don't think I've posted those yet, so I'll get that recipe up soon.  This didn't quite coat as well as it could have, but perhaps it's because I threw it all in the bag at once.  The instructions are written out how I'm pretty sure it would coat all of the cereal a little better.  This is tasty and VERY sweet.  It'll make a great snack for preschool and a little goes a LONG ways.  Yummy!

Ingredients

5 cups Rice Chex cereal (I used Crispex)

10 oz (5 squares) vanilla flavored Almond Bark

1 1/2 cups yellow cake mix

1/2 cup powdered sugar

vegetable shortening, optional

Directions

1. Melt Almond Bark according to the package directions, adding vegetable shortening to thin if desired.
2. Pour the cereal into a paper bag or container with a lid.
3. Drizzle melted Almond Bark over the cereal and fold down the top of the paper bag or put the lid on the container.
4. Shake bag or container until the cereal is evenly coated.
5. Pour in powdered sugar and cake mix and close the container again
6. Shake until the cereal is completely covered with dry ingredients.
7. Add some sprinkles for color if desired.
8. Try REALLY hard not to eat the entire batch!

Strawberry Pizza

I needed to make a recipe for a baby shower, and just couldn't seem to figure out what to make.  I decided I wanted to try something new and had a lot of strawberries in my house that needed to be used up.  After searching around, I found this recipe and decided that it would be easy to make and I had everything needed to make it.  I thought it would basically be a fruit pizza with only strawberries on it, but I was wrong.  It turned out MUCH better as a hybrid of fruit pizza ans strawberry pie.  Of course, I forgot to get a photo of it before the baby shower, but now you can see just how much it was liked by all the ladies there!  I can't wait to have an excuse to make this one again!  The only thing I would do different, is I might make this in a 9x13 pan next time so it's easier to cut into bars instead of wedges.

Ingredients
6 T. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4t. almond extract
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

FILLING:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
2 c. sliced fresh strawberries
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
2 c. crushed fresh strawberries

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar for 2 minutes. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. On a floured surface, roll dough into a 13-in. circle. Transfer to an ungreased 12-in. pizza pan. Build up edges slightly. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over crust. Arrange sliced strawberries on top.
4. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and crushed berries until blended. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool slightly. Spoon over strawberries. Refrigerate until serving.

Dried Chery Scones

Brandon needed something for a morning work meeting, and I happened to have all of the ingredients to make these, so that's what he got!  They turned out really well.  They might have been slightly dry, but I used half and half instead of cream.  The kids were very excited that Daddy let some for them to eat for breakfast.  Very easy recipe and I will certainly make these again.

Ingredients

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons shortening

3/4 cup cream

1 egg

Handful dried currants, dried cranberries or dried cherries

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix well.
3. Cut in butter and shortening.
4. In a separate bowl, combine cream with beaten egg then add to dry ingredients.
5. Stir in fruit.
6. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Roll dough out and cut into biscuit size rounds.  (I used my scone pan instead)
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until brown.

Pumpkin Monkey Bread

I found this recipe while surfing around Pinterest. I seem to get into a lot of trouble doing that, but we've also tried a lot of new things because we have seen them on there first. This one seems to be a hit. I just placed it on the table, and the boys already asked if they could eat their dessert. That was followed by plethora of, "Mommy, I like this!" I'm mean, who wouldn't like some monkey bread with a little bit of pumpkin thrown in?  I also just had an idea, what about turning these into cinnamon rolls...hmmm....

 Ingredients
 Dough 
2 T. butter (browned, if desired)
1/2 c. milk
2 1/4 t. (1 envelope) active dry yeast
3/4 c. pumpkin puree
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. salt
2 1/2 c. bread flour

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
1 c. sugar
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
2 T. butter (browned, if desired)

Buttered Rum Glaze
2 T. butter
2 T. brown sugar
1 1/2 T. milk
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 T. rum (or vanilla)

 

Directions

1. I threw all of the dough ingredients into my bread machine, and  ran it on dough cycle.  If you do not have a bread machine, follow step 2.  If you use your bread machine, skip step 2.
2. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of butter, letting it bubble up and turn a dark golden brown but being careful not to allow it burn (turn black). Once browned, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the milk, return to stove and heat through. Pour the milk and butter into the bowl of standing mixer (fitted with a dough hook) and allow to cool so it is no longer hot but also not cool (about 100-110 degrees F). Once it has reached a warm but not hot temperature add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow to proof (this can take up to 8 minutes, the top will look foamy and the liquid cloudy). Then add the the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time.Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
3. When the dough is almost finished, brown another 2 tablespoons of butter. Mix the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a separate bowl.  Set aside. Next, grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.
4. When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with hands for 1-2 minutes.  Then pinch or cut off pieces that are about the size of a golf ball.  Dip them in the melted butter, then in cinnamon sugar mixture.  Then place the coated dough balls into the prepared loaf pan. Cover the pan with a clean towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
5. In the meantime preheat an oven to 350 degrees. After rising in the pan, bake for 30-40 minutes or until top is a very deep golden brown.
6. To prepare the glaze, heat the butter, milk, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil then immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum and powdered sugar.