Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients

For the Crust

     1      package Oreos

            stick  (1/2 cup) unsalted butter (melted)

For the Peanut Butter Filling

1 block of regular cream cheese (8 ounces, softened)

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 heaping cup of creamy peanut butter

1 tub of cool whip (8 ounce tub)

For the topping

chocolate syrup

caramel syrup

Instructions

You can either prepare this pie in a 9 inch pie dish or a 9 inch spring-form pan. If using a pie dish spray the bottom of the dish lightly with some cooking spray and set aside. If using a 9 inch spring-form pan, you can either spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray or you can cut a circle cut out of parchment paper and line the bottom on the spring-form pan with that so when it's time to serve you can easily transfer the whole pie to a serving plate.To make the crust, pulse cookies (use the entire package) in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs. Place the cookie crumbs in a medium sized bowl and melt the butter in the microwave. Pour melted butter over the cookie crumbs and mix together until all the crumbs are evenly coated and moist. Pour crumbs into the bottom of the pie dish of spring-form pan and press them down with the back of a spoon forming a crust. Make sure the crust is even, smooth and packed tightly. In a large bowl combine cream cheese and powdered sugar and mix with an electric mixer on low speed for about a minute and then work your way up to medium speed. Add in the vanilla extract and peanut butter. Continue mixing. You may have to stop and scrap down the sides of the bowl. Slowly add in the cool whip and continue mixing until everything is thoroughly combined. Mixture will be fluffy, thick and resemble a pale peanut butter color. Pour peanut butter mixture into the pie dish and smooth it out over the pie crust. Chill pie for at least one hour before serving.

                                                                           Enjoy it!

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Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

1 cup self raising flour
⅓ cup castor sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
 ½ cup milk
 40g butter, melted
 1 free range egg, lightly beaten
 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla essence
  1 cup brown sugar
 2 tablespoons cocoa (extra)

 1 cup boiling water
  Cream, for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180˚C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 4 cup ovenproof dish. Sift flour, sugar and cocoa into a mixing bowl. Combine milk, butter, egg and vanilla in a jug and pour into the dry ingredients. Mix gently until just combined. Pour into the prepared ovenproof dish. Combine brown sugar, extra cocoa and boiling water into another jug, mix well. Gently pour the sauce mixture into dish and bake for 20-25. Serve warm with cream.

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Bourbon Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 8 eggs, separated
• 3 cups sugar, divided
• 2 cups butter, softened (4 sticks)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup bourbon
• 2 tsp almond extract
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• powdered sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt pan and sprinkle chopped pecans in pan.

Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Slowly add 1 cup of sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form (about 2-4 minutes). Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat butter at medium speed of an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Slowly add remaining 2 cups of sugar. Continue beating at medium speed for 5 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until yellow disappears.

Add flour to butter mixture alternating with bourbon, beginning and ending with flour. Mix at low speed just until blended after each addition of flour. Stir in vanilla and almond extract.

Fold egg white mixture to batter. Spoon mixture into prepared bundt pan.

Bake 60-70 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

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Sangria Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

         1 & 1/2 cups flour

         1 tsp baking powder

         1/2 tsp baking soda

        1/4 tsp salt

       3/4 cup sugar

       2 eggs

       1 stick butter, melted

         1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla

         1/2 cup sour cream

        1/2 cup chopped strawberries

         zest of 1 orange

         1/4 cup blueberries or diced apples

To top the cupcakes

           Orange slices, strawberry slices and blueberries.

Buttercream

        1 stick butter, room temperature

        1/2 cup vegetable shortening

        2-2.5 cups powdered sugar

      1/2 tsp vanilla

    2 cups red wine 

   1/4 cup sugar

Instructions

Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Whisk and set aside.

In a mixing bowl combine the eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and sour cream until combined.

Slowly add half of the flour mixture to the liquid, stirring to combine. Repeat with the rest of the flour mixture. Add in the chopped strawberries, orange zest, and blueberries or chopped apples. Stir to mix.

Divide the batter among a muffin pan lined with muffin liners, fill the muffin cups to be about a little more than 1/2 full.

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Red Wine Syrup

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the red wine and sugar to a boil. Once the wine starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, you still want to see the wine boiling, just not a rigorous boil. Allow the wine to thicken and reduce, about 20-30 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to cool at remove temperature. This is where the wine will begin to thicken. Once the wine has cooled to room temperature, you can place the saucepan in the fridge to help speed on the cooling process.

Buttercream

In a mixing bowl, combine the room temperature butter and shortening, beat using an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Add 1/4 cup of the red wine syrup and mix. You can add more later, but you do not let the buttercream to become too wet.

Begin to add in the powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time. Slowly beat the mixture until the powered sugar is incorporated. Continue this process, adding enough powdered sugar to make sure the frosting isn't too wet. You can add more red wine syrup at this time if you’d like the flavor to be stronger. You may have to add more powdered sugar too.

Transfer a portion of the frosting to a large ziploc bag or piping bag fit with a piping tip. Push or squeeze the frosting down, getting rid of any air pockets. If using a ziploc bag, cut half one corner, making a hole between the size of a dime and a penny.

Begin to pipe the frosting onto a cupcake, starting with the outside edge and working your way into the center of the cupcake, progressively stacking the frosting as you go around in circles.

Top each cupcake with a small orange slice, strawberry slice and one blueberry.

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Macroons

INGREDIENTS

Strawberry Macaroon Shells
4oz Almond Flour
8oz Powdered Sugar
5oz Egg Whites
2 1/2 0z. Sugar
2 Tsp. Strawberry
1/2 Tsp. Salt
Pink Gel Coloring

Vanilla Macaroon Shells 
4oz Almond Flour
8oz Powdered Sugar
5oz Egg Whites
2 1/2 0z. Sugar
2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 Tsp. Salt

Chocolate Buttercream
1/2 Cup Butter
2 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
4 Tbs. Cocoa Powder
1-3 Tbs. Milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Measure out all of your macaroon ingredients for the strawberry shells first.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, pour in egg whites, salt, and sugar. Set timer for 3 minutes and beat at a medium speed using the whisk attachment. Once the 3 minutes are up turn it up about 3 notches to speed 7 and beat for another 3 minutes. Once those are up turn it all the way up on high and beat one last time for 3 minutes.

While your meringue is beating sift your almond flour and powdered sugar into a bowl. Once all is sifted you should have some small bits of almond that were too large to pass through. If there is a tsp. or less you just leave them out, if there is more you will want to send them through a food processor to grind them up before pouring into the batter.

Add in strawberry extract and pink gel coloring then beat on high for about 30 seconds, stop and use a spatula to scrap all the unmixed meringue from the sides, then beat for 30 more seconds.

Here is where you really have to pay attention, you will need just the right consistency to get a good macaroon.

Add in dry ingredients. Using a spatula “fold” the batter with about 25-28 turns of the spatula going around the bowl then across in a swooping pattern. By doing this you are deflating some of the extra air from the batter. Make sure to get everything off the bottom mixed in. At first it will seem really thick and clumpy but it will smooth out quick. You want a thickness that is still thick enough to hold a little shape but thin enough to fold back into itself. You can check this every few stirs by holding up your spatula with batter on it, the batter should “drop” off the spatula but then settle into the batter after a few moments.

Using a small round tip and piping bag, pipe small 1-1.5 inch circles onto either a macaroon mat or parchment paper. Again, I used a macaroon mat and it really made this process so easy. But you could simply pipe circles on to parchment paper and even pre-draw circles on the bottom as guides. Either way you need to remember you batter will spread a bit so you don’t want to pipe all the way to the sides or the circle. I find it best to pipe the circles by holding the tip straight up in the center and letting it “flow” out. You will have small peaks at first but the first tip should have already appeared after you’ve piped about 5 macaroons. If not, you want to stick the batter back in the bag and deflate it a little more.

Preheat the oven for 290-300 degrees. Then set your piped macaroons trays on the counter and set the timer for 25 minutes. Don’t place the macaroons in the oven right after piping. After about 25-30 minutes your macaroons should have a slight “crust” over them. When you gently touch them they should not stick to your finger. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

After pulling tray from oven, carefully pull the baking mat or parchment paper off the baking tray and on to the counter to cool. Let the cool completely before attempting to remove.

Repeat process with vanilla macaroons shells adding vanilla extract instead and no coloring.

While your last shells are baking time to whip up some yummy chocolate buttercream to fill them with.

In a mixing bowl or bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until fluffy add in 1 tsp. vanilla, beat until combined. Then add in powdered sugar and cocoa, beat until fully combined. Add in milk a little at a time beating in between until you’ve reached desired consistency.

Using the same size tip and piping bag, pipe buttercream on one side of each macaroon and then sandwich together.

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Cinnamon Bread

Ingredients

Dough

3/4 cup whole milk

2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 tbs granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups all-purpose flour

Filling

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tsp cinnamon

Vanilla Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1-4 tbs cream

Instructions

Heat milk until it reaches 105 degrees either on the stovetop or in the microwave. Stir in yeast packet and sugar and let it sit until the top becomes thick and frothy, about 3 minutes. Pour mixture into bowl of stand mixer and add melted butter, beaten egg and salt. Mix until combined. Add half of the flour and mix on low speed. Once combined, add the rest 1/4 cup at a time until the dough is sticky but workable and doesn't get stuck on your hands. Once dough is together, knead for another 5 minutes on low speed.

Work dough with your hands to form a ball. Grease a large bowl, or use the same bowl, and place dough in. Cover and set dough in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. I like to turn my oven on to 200 degrees, turn it off and place the bowl in there.

Once doubled in size, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle shape. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Brush on melted butter and cover in cinnamon sugar mixture. Cut dough length-wise into 5 long strips. Stack them on top of each other. Cut 6-7 sections across your stacks.

Grease a 9x5" loaf pan and loosely stagger your stacks in the pan. If they aren't snug to the edges of the pan, don't worry about it. It will bake up fine. If there is extra cinnamon sugar that spilled off while transferring the stacks into the pan, don't waste it! Sprinkle it on top of the dough in the pan. Cover dough with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 45 minutes to an hour until it doubles again in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 22-27 minutes or until very lightly browned on top. Remove from oven, run a knife around the edges and allow to cool in pan for 20 minutes. During this time, whisk glaze ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside (add more cream/milk for desired consistency). Flip pan over and very carefully remove loaf and set on a large plate or platter. Drizzle glaze on top and serve!

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Popcorn Balls

Ingredients

        10 cups Popcorn 

        1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons butter

     1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Agave Nectar

      1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt

      1 teaspoon vanilla extract

       Hershey's Special Dark Miniatures

       Crushed Pretzels

        

         Instructions

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in Agave nectar and salt. Boil approximately 1 minute. Stir in Vanilla. Pour mixture over popcorn and coat evenly. Bake popcorn mixture in a roasting pan at 325 degrees for 25 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from pan and allow to cool just enough to work with the popcorn. With greased or buttered hands, form into balls.

Place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet and allow to cool completely. Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler. Dip each popcorn ball in the chocolate, then in the crushed pretzels.

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Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 bag (9.5 oz)  Dark Chocolate, chopped, 

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups grated zucchini

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 tablespoon corn syrup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray miniature muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray or use mini muffin liners. In a microwave safe dish, heat 1/2 package of chocolates about 18 pieces on 50% power for 1 minute; stir. Continue microwaving and stirring in 30-second intervals on 50% power until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well blended. Mix in cooled chocolate. Add sour cream and mix to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Mix in zucchini. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter. Bake 12 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool before glazing.

Chocolate Glaze

Put remaining half package of chocolates in a small glass bowl and set aside. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine heavy cream and corn syrup; microwave heavy cream just until it starts to boil, about 30 seconds. Pour over the chocolate; set aside for 3 minutes. Whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. If necessary, microwave an additional 10 seconds at 50% power. Dip the tops of the bites in the chocolate to glaze.

                                                               Enjoy it!

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Pear & Rosemary Cocktail

INGREDIENTS (4 cocktails)

5 pears (medium size)
1/3 fennel
3 sprigs rosemary
1 inch fresh ginger, more or less according to taste
1 stalk lemongrass, chopped and crushed
a pinch nutmeg, ground
2 pinches ground vanilla
1/2 – 1 cup sparkling water or soda (start with 1/2 cup, add more to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

Run pears, fennel, 2 sprigs rosemary and ginger in a juicer.Pour the juice into a small saucepan over medium heat, add lemongrass, nutmeg and vanilla. Bring to boil, turn down the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until thickened. Allow to cool completely before straining. Pass through a fine sieve. Crush the ice in a high speed blender. Place the thickened juice in a pitcher or (cocktail) shaker, add soda water and stir to combine. Fill the cocktail glasses with ice and pour over the juice and soda mixture. Garnish with sliced pears and fresh rosemary. 

                                                                Enjoy it!

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Chocolate Cake (flourless)

Ingredients

• 6 oz bittersweet chocolate (60%), chopped
• 10 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced into pieces
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Topping (optional)

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• Fresh strawberries or raspberries

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, line bottom with a round of parchment paper and butter paper.
• In a large microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate with butter on 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring well between increments until melted and smooth. Whisk in granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt until well combined, about 1 minute. Add eggs and whisk until well blended, about 1 minute. Sift in cocoa powder and stir until combined. Pour batter into prepared baking dish, smooth top into an even layer and bake in preheated 20 - 25 minutes. Allow to cool, then cut into slices and serve with whipped cream or ice cream and optional fresh fruit. Store cooled cake in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 3 days.

For the optional sweetened whipped cream:

• In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Store in refrigerator.

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Pumpkin Doughnuts

18 doughnuts

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (measure 2 cups remove 2 Tbsp)
• 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Coating

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 18 doughnut wells (3 6-hole pans).
• In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger for 20 seconds, set aside. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and brown sugar until well combined (break up clumps of brown sugar with fingertips as necessary. You don't want any clumps). Add canola oil, eggs, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and using an electric hand mixer, blend until mixture is well blended. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix with electric mixer until well combined. Spoon or pipe batter into doughnut wells, filling each about 3/4 full (a scant 1/4 cup in each).
• Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 13 - 16 minutes. Cool doughnuts slightly. Meanwhile in a large resealable bag shake together 1/3 cup sugar and 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon until well combined. Add one warm doughnut to bag at a time, seal and shake with sugar mixture to coat. Place on wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

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Crumb Cake

Ingredients

Crumbs

• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp (160g) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (74g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (72g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, melted

Cake

• 1 cup (143g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 5 Tbsp (2.5 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (109g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (2 oz) milk
• 1/4 cup (2 oz) sour cream

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 by 8-inch baking dish then line with two sheets of parchment, butter parchment (alternately you can just butter and lightly flour the dish if you don't care to lift out the whole cake).

For the crumbs:

• In a mixing bowl whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour in melted butter (use a spatula to scrape out any excess) and stir to combine. Slowly add flour while mixing with a wooden spoon or spatula, and mix until no streaks of flour remain. Set aside to rest while cake batter is prepared.

For the cake:

• In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds, set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla. In liquid measuring cup used to measure milk, whisk together sour cream with milk. Add in 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend just until combined, then add 1/2 of the milk mixture and mix just until combined. Repeat process once more, then end by mixing in last 1/3 of the flour mixture until nearly combined. Scape down sides and bottom of bowl using a rubber spatula and fold batter to fully incorporate.
• Pour batter into prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Break crumb mixture into pea size crumbs and drop evenly over batter. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out free of batter and cake doesn't sink when touched in center, about 32 - 35 minutes. Cool in cake pan 10 minutes, then using parchment overhang lift cake from pan and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

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Coca-Cola Cake

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (12-ounce) can cola
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Frosting:1 (12-ounce) can cola

½ cup salted butter, cut into small cubes
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

3. In a small saucepan, stir together the cola, butter and cocoa powder over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Pour into the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until moistened.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla until blended. Add to the batter, whisking constantly.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

6. Make the Frosting: About 15 minutes before the cake is finished, begin the frosting. In a small saucepan, bring the cola to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is reduced to ½ cup, about 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the butter and cocoa powder until the butter is melted, then remove from the heat. Add the powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time, whisking until smooth. Pour immediately over the hot cake in an even layer. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before serving. Leftovers should be covered and stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

 

Enjoy!

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Lemon & Raspberry Scones

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cup sweet white sorghum flour plus extra for flouring surface

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

3/4 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp ground flax seed

1/4 tsp rock salt

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1/2 cup sweetened almond milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon zest

1 cup frozen raspberries

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly flour.

In a high powered blended, combine sorghum flour, sugar, cream of tartar, baking soda, ground flax seed, and rock salt. Add in coconut oil, almond milk, egg, vanilla, and lemon zest. Blend until a dough is formed. Dump dough into a bowl and gently fold in raspberries. Using your hands, gently roll the dough into a large ball. Place ball onto your lightly floured baking sheet. Mold dough into a flattened disk that has an 8-inch diameter and 3/4-inch thickness. Cut the disk of dough into 8 wedges but leave the wedges touching.

Bake for 12 minutes. Then separate the wedges and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Allow the scones to cool slightly, about 5 minutes, on a baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

 

Enjoy it!

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