French Toast Cupcakes & Maple Frosting

1 box Yellow Cake Mix
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
1 Tbs. Cinnamon
1 small box instant vanilla pudding

Preheat oven to 350 and line cupcake tins with paper liners. Mix cake mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth & fluffly (about 2 minutes). Spoon into cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Maple Frosting
3 cups powdered sugar
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temp.
1 cube butter, room temp
1 Tbs. Maple Flavoring/Extract
1/4 cup evaporated milk

Cream all together for about 3 minutes. Frost cupcakes. Be brave and top with crumbled bacon...!

Dump Cake

Ingredients:

1 box of yellow cake mix
1 can of cherry pie filling
1 can of crushed pineapple
1 stick of cold butter
walnuts

Grease 9x13 pan. Pour crushed pineapple in with the juices. Spread into even layer.
Pour cherry pie filling on top of the pineapple, disperse evenly.
Next pour dry cake mix over the fruit mixture. Again spread evenly.
Next cut butter into thin slices and put on top of cake evenly. ( fyi- I had to use a few slices more than 1 stick to cover areas)

Sprinkle nuts on top of it all.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, and serve warm with icecream1

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Am I the only one who posts on here still? I bet all y'all have clean houses too. Pfft.

This recipe came from my friend Karen, who got it from AllRecipes.com. These cookies are AMAZING, I'm tellin' ya!



Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Coconut Macaroons

Dustin loves Macaroons and has been asking me to make them for a while. I've never made them before so I was a little nervous. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. I added 1/2 cup of flour and didn't use any almond extract, instead increased the vanilla extract to 3 teaspoons. They turned out pretty good. Dustin loved them, but I felt like they needed something more, maybe like milk chocolate drizzled on top? But since he likes them just the way they are I probably won't try it.

1 14 oz) can EAGLE BRAND Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 egg white, whipped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 (14 oz) package flaked coconut
1/2 cup flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with foil; grease and flour foil. Set aside. (I just used my baking mats and I didn't have any trouble)

2. In a large bowl, whisk egg white until soft peaks, add sweetened condensed milk, extracts, and coconut; mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets; slightly flatten each mound with a spoon.

3. Bake 15-17 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Immediately remove from baking sheets (macaroons will stick if allowed to cool) on wire racks. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Servings: 48

Bread Pudding

My husband LOVES bread pudding so I have been making it lately when I have bread or buns that are kinda going old. I really like making it because you can adjust to your own tastebuds by adding different fruit or spices and it usually still turns out really good.

Ingredients:

About 7 or 8 pieces of old bread.
3/4 cups of brown sugar (or you can use white sugar)
2 TBS. of melted butter
2 Cups milk
1 tsp of vanilla
1 tsp. of cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
3 Eggs


Directions:

Break bread up into little pieces and place into 8x8 pan.
Drizzle melted butter over broken bread, add raisins on top if desired.
In bowl combine eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar together and mix with electric mixer until well blended.
Pour mixture over bread.
With a fork, make sure all bread is soaked in liquid mixture.
Bake at 350 for 45 min.

Serve with whip cream on top, or by itself. Really yummy hot or cold.
Enjoy!!

Snickerdoodle Cookies

This is a recipe from my Aunt Kathy. I tried it out at my toe party. I think I over baked them. They were a little crisp. So when baking make sure to check them after 8 minutes, they seem to puff up and then go back down.

Cream together:
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
Measure and sift:
2 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp. cream of tarter
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
Combine all ingredients together. Form into 1 inch balls and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10.

Texas Sheet Cake

My Mom use to make this when I was a kid. She told me she got the recipe from my Aunt Tammie. It's delicious and makes a lot.

Set aside
3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Bring to boil
3 cubes of butter
6 tbsp. cocoa
1 1/2 cups water

Mix together
3/4 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Add cocoa mixture then flour mixture. Take out enough mixture to make 4 cupcakes or else it the cake will over flow. You can set that aside until the cake is done. Pour the rest of the mixture into a floured and greased jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Frosting
Bring to boil
1 1/2 cubes butter
6 tbsp. cocoa
6 tbsp. milk
2 tbsp. karol syrup
Then add
5 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Spread over cake. Enjoy!

Apple Cake

This is one of my favorite things my mom would make when I lived back in Texas! I hope you enjoy!

1 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

2 Cups Sugar

3 Eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

3 Cups Flour

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Cinnamon

3 Cups Apples (Cut into chunky pieces)

1 Cup Pecans

Grease and flour a bundt pan; set aside. In large mixing bowl, begin mixing ingredients in the order given: Oil & Sugar; Stir. Add eggs; Stir. Add Vanilla; Stir... Continue in order making sure to stir well after each ingredient is added. Spoon into bundt pan evenly.

Bake @ 325 degrees F for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Remove from pan onto a serving plate. Top with sprinkled powdered sugar if desired.

Apple Dumplings

I posted this on my blog as well, but this is seriously the best (and easiest!) dessert ever.

Apple Dumplings

• 2 Granny Smith apples
• 2 cans crescent rolls
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoons vanilla
• cinnamon
• 1 small can Mountain Dew

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Then go to confession. Quickly.

Love,

Pioneer Woman

For a back story and step-by-step pictures, go to PW's website, HERE.

Snickerdoodle Cake

From the Cake Mix Doctor

1 pkg. (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix
1 cup whole milk
8 tbls. (1 stick)butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13 pan.

2. Place the cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well combined. Pour batter in pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pan in the oven.

3. Bake the cakes until they are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 27 to 29 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Allow it to cool completely, 30 minutes more.

4. Frost with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting below.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

8 tbls. (1 stick) butter, at room temperature.
3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 to 4 tbls. milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. cinnamon

1. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more. Blend in up to 1 tablespoon milk if the frosting seems to stiff.

Yogurt Cake

I have been searching and trying to figure out where I found this recipe. I know it was from another recipe blog, but can't for the life of me find it. Anyways try it out it is very light and yummy. I used raspberry yogurt, but next time I think I'll try lime because Dustin loves lime.

Cake:
1 white cake mix
8 ounces flavored yogurt(Yoplait is the best!)

Topping:
8 ounces whipped topping
8 ounces flavored yogurt(same as used in cake)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

With electric mixer, slowly mix cake ingredients according to package directions. Gently stir in yogurt with spoon or plastic spatula. Pour batter in a greased 9x13 pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden on top. Use a toothpick to determine if cake is done. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

Before serving, stir whipped topping and yogurt together and frost cake with it. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Yummy Lemon Bars

I love Paula Deen - all her recipes call for an obsurd amount of butter...

Ingredients & Directions:
Crust 2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
pinch of salt
2 sticks butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing

Filling
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9x13x2-inch pan.
Make the crust by combining flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter to make a crumbly mixture. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. You may need to dip your fingers into a little flour or confectioners' sugar to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the filling, mix the eggs, granulated sugar, flour, and lemon juice. Pour this over the baked crust and bake for 25 minutes longer. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired, when the bars are done.

Pig Pickin' Cake

I got this recipe from Rachel Alldredge (Black) - it is such a light, moist and yummy cake:

1 box yellow cake mix (or whatever you want-chocolate, white, whatever)
3/4 c oil or 1 c applesauce
4 eggs
1 small can mandarin oranges, undrained
1 med can crushed pineapple, drained but save that juice!!
1 small pkg vanilla instant pudding
12 oz cool whip

Mix cake, oil, eggs and oranges with mixer for 3 minutes. Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 pan (or 3 round pans). Bake 350 for 30 minutes or til a toothpick comes out clean. (duh.) While cake is warm, prick cake with fork at intervals and pour juice from drained pineapple over top. Fold pineapple and dry pudding mix into the cool whip. Spread over cooled cake. Chill in the freezer. Very moist and so yummy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

Okay, okay...if you are looking for a super easy and super yummy dessert then you've got to try out this recipe. Check out the Bakerella for the pictures. I made these last night and have been trying to stay out of the kitchen so I don't eat them all. I made them without the frosting, but with frosting would be yummy too.

1 box Betty Crocker Original Supreme brownie mix (with chocolate pouch)
vegetable oil, water, and eggs called for on brownie mix box
1 pouch Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix
butter and egg called for on cookie pouch
1 container Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Chocolate frosting or the Chocolate Ganache at the end.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan. Make brownie batter as directed on box. Spread in pan.

2. Make cookie dough as directed on pouch. Drop by rounded spoonfuls evenly onto brownie batter; press down lightly.

3. Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Frost with Betty Crocker frosting or chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels
3/4 cup heavy whipping gream
6 Tbsp butter

* In a small saucepan, heat cream and butter until just before the boiling stage.
* Pour over the chocolate morsels.
* Let stand about 20 seconds and stir until smooth.
* Pour over brownies and let set before cutting

Homemade Peanut Butter Bars

Submitted by: Mindie J.

1 C. Butter
1 C. Peanut Butter
1 C. Brown Sugar
1 C. Sugar
2 Eggs
Mix together untill creamy then add
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
3/4 Tsp. Salt
3 Tsp.Vanilla
2 1/2 C. Flour
2 1/4 C. Oats
Grease a large cookie sheet
Spread mixture evenly in cookie sheet
Bake @ 350 deg for 15 min.
When cooled frost with chocolate frosting
Tip: Put the frosting in the microwave for about 30 sec to soften it. It will spread much easier.
Or you can melt chocolate chips and spread them over the bars

Banana Bars

Submitted by: Mary M.

I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!!


Banana Bars
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-3 ripe bananas, mashed

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Add sour cream and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt - then add to the other mixture. Stir in mashed bananas.
Pour in buttered sheet pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Frost with Cream Cheese frosting:

1/2 cup margarine (softened)
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese (softened)
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla

I keep them refrigerated! SO YuMmY!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love this recipe, but if anyone else has a pumpkin chocolate chip recipe I'd love you to share it. I always enjoy trying new recipes.

Mix together:

2 eggs
1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin (not pie filling)
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil

Sift together, then add:

4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Stir in:

1 (12 oz.) package of chocolate chips or butterscotch chips
1 cups chopped nuts (Optional)

Drop by teaspoon on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes

Halloween/Fall Treat

My Mom found this cute idea in her blog adventures one day! We tried it out and they are super cute and super good if you like peanut butter. They taste like peanut butter fudge, only better and much cuter! They are a little time consuming but kind of fun to make especially with the kids.

All you need is one bag of peanut butter chips (like chocolate chips) and one container of vanilla frosting.Melt the peanut butter chips in the microwave and then add the vanilla frosting to it. Set aside a very small amount to color green for the stems and color the rest orange. It kind of gets tuff to stir. Then you set in fridge for one hour.

To make pumpkins you roll the orange into balls. Take a knife to score like a real pumpkin and then you set it down and push the top down with your thumb. It opens up the scores that you just made to make it look like pumpkin. Then you use a tooth pick to make a little hole in the top to stick the stem in that you make out of the green.

I hope this makes sense. There really isn't any directions so these are my special instructions and I wanted to be clear as possible so it may be sound stupid. If you have any questions let me know.

Enjoy!

Blonde Brownies

I got this recipe off Good Things Utah. It's perfect if you're craving chocolate chip cookies, but don't want to do all the work of spooning them individually on a cookie sheet.

2/3 cup margarine, melted
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tbls. water
2 3/4 cup flour
2 cup chocolate chips

Mix first 7 ingredients together then add flour. Blend together. Add chocolate chips and stir. Spread mixture into a 9x13 baking pan. Bake @ 340 degrees for 22-24 minutes depending on your oven. Bake only until brownies begin to slightly brown on edges.

I dusted mine w/ powdered sugar, I liked it, but Dustin liked it without. Go figure?

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip or Raisin Cookies

I don't like Oatmeal raisin cookies, but a lot of people do. More than I would have thought. I like this recipe because it makes a ton so I usually do half with raisins for Dustin and half with chocolate chips for the rest of us.

2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
4 cups flour
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
5 cups oatmeal
2 packages of chocolate chips
4 cups raisins
*or separate the dough in two parts and do half w/ 1 bag chocolate chips and the other half w/ 2 cups raisins*

Bake for 6-10 minutes at 350 degrees on ungreased cookie sheet.