Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat

Pete's Birthday Cake

I found this recipe here and on pinterest.

1 pkg. devils food cake, German chocolate cake, or chocolate cake mix
1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding
1 c. sour cream
4 large eggs
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. oil
1 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips
2 (8 ounce) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
3-4 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Mix first six ingredients together with a beater. Add chocolate chips. Pour into a greased bunt cake pan (cooking spray works best). Cook in oven at 350 degrees for 45-50 mins. Remove from oven. Let cool for 20 mins. Remove from pan. (I think it tastes best if you put it on a serving plate, wrap it well in Saran Wrap, and let it sit overnight in the fridge before frosting and serving..) In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the powdered sugar (start with 2 cups then keep adding more until it is nice and thick).

Apple Tea Ring or Pineapple Tea Ring

This was taken before I frosted it.  Ignore my ugly pan and I know it doesn't look that good, but it really was. 

Dough

1 lb butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
5 cups scalded milk
3/4 tlbs of sea salt
1 tbs yeast/ dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water

Filling
1 15 oz crushed pineapple or canned apples
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
You can also use granola, craisins, or raisins.

Enough flour to have a sticky dough.  Let rise until doubled.
Scald milk and butter.  Add to mixture.  Add sugar, beaten eggs, and salt.  When all mixed together and yeast mixture.  Roll out dough as for cinnamon rolls.  Cover with filling.  Form into a circle and then pinch ends together.  Cut with scissors 3/4 thru and then turn cuts up on side to form a wreath.  Cook at 350 until golden brown, about 20 mins.  Frost with butter cream frosting.  You may also decorate with almond or maraschino cherries.

You can also just used butter, and cinnamon and sugar.  Then shape your dough into three ropes.  Braid them and then shape them into a candy cane.

Berry Cobler

We found this recipe here.  We made this for the 4th of July.  It was red, white, blue, and delicious.

3 c. all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into the measuring cup and leveled with a knife
1/4 tsp. table salt
2 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. (1 stick) salted butter
2 eggs
1 c. heavy cream ( I used milk)
zest of one lemon or orange (optional)
4 c. berries (We used blueberries, and strawberries)
1/2 c. brown sugar
Streusel Topping:
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. + 1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 Tbsp. butter at room temperature
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9×13″ baking dish and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and citrus zest. Set aside.
Using a cheese grater, grate 1 cold stick of butter. Lightly toss the butter with flour mixture until it’s mixed evenly and crumbly (don’t over-mix here). Whisk the eggs and then lightly toss them with the flour/butter mixture until evenly absorbed. Add in the cream and mix until combined; the mixture should be quite sticky and a little lumpy (kind of like biscuit dough). Lightly press about 1 1/2 c. of the dough mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and set it aside.
Toss the berries with the brown sugar and spread it over the prepared “crust.” Drop the remaining dough over the berries and set aside.
Whisk together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon for the struesel topping. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over the dough and bake for 45-55 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the crust is cooked through. Serve warm with whipping cream or vanilla ice cream.

Bunny Buns

 

This recipe was in the friend this month.  We made them today and they were so yummy.

Bunny Buns

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup milk, warmed not quite to boiling

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons grated orange peel

5 1/2 cups flour, sifted

Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup hot water, 1 teaspoon butter

1. Wash hands with soap and water.
   
2. Sprinkle yeast in the warm water and set aside.
   
3. In another bowl, blend milk, sugar, shortening, and salt. Cool until lukewarm, then add eggs, water with yeast, orange juice, and orange peel.
   
4. Stir in flour a few cups at a time to make a soft dough. Let stand for 10 minutes.
   
5. Knead dough 5–10 minutes on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic. Place it in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover bowl with a clean towel and put it in a warm place. Let dough rise for 2 hours, or until double in size. Punch dough down and let stand for 10 minutes.
   
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into strips 1/2 inch wide and 14 inches long. Roll between hands into rounded snake shapes. Cut one strip into pieces 1/2 inch long, and roll into balls.
   
7. Place one long piece of dough on a greased cookie sheet. Place one end of the strip over the other to make a loop; bring the end that is underneath up and cross it over the other end. Place a ball of dough on top of the bottom loop.
   
8. Cover bunnies and let rise in a warm place for 45–60 minutes, until nearly double in size. Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 12–15 minutes.
   
9. For the glaze, stir powdered sugar, water, and butter together. Frost bunnies with the glaze while they are still warm.
   

Authentic Brazilian fudge (Brigadeiro)

1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon butter
Optional: 1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract
sprinkles to decorate

Mix first four ingredients together in pan.  Stir over medium high heat continuously to avoid burning.  When it starts to stick to the pan and you can scrape it off with a spatula it is ready.  Once it is like a paste consistency, put it in the freezer for an hour to get hard enough so you can roll it into balls.  Make sure your hands are greased well so it won't stick.  Then roll in sprinkles and place on a tray to serve.  Keep in the refrigerator.

I found this recipe here.

Soft Sugar Cookies

I have had no luck with sugar cookies lately.  They usually don't hold their shape for me.  I finally found one that is for soft cookies that I like.  Now I am trying to find a crispy one that I like.

I found this recipe here.


1 cup sour cream  (I used greek yogurt)
2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
6 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine sour cream, sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Beat for a 2-3 minutes.

Add dry ingredients and mix well. Let the dough chill in fridge for 25 minutes or until firm.

Roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick and use cookie cutters to make shapes or circles. You may have to add a little flour to roll them out so the dough is workable but remember the less flour you use the softer your cookie will be.

Bake until LIGHT golden brown-no more than 10 minutes. When you take them out they will seem underdone but they aren't. Let them cool on the pan and they will be perfect and moist. It you like them harder and more crunchy just bake them a little longer.

Makes around 4 dozen.

Witches Hats

Lindsay had a Joy School Party today and they made these cute little Witches Hat. It is just an ice cream cone glued (with frosting) to a little piece of construction paper cut into a circle. The inside is filled with cereal, marshmallows, and m&m's.

Halloween Chex Mix

8 oz white chocolate baking bars, coarsely chopped (I used white chocolate chips)
4 cups corn chex or rice chex cereal (I used a mixture of both)
2 cups bite size pretzel twists
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup candy corn
1/4 cup orange and black candy decors

In large microwaveable bowl, microwave chopped baking bars uncovered on High for 1-2 minutes stirring often until melted and smooth.

Gently stir in cereal, pretzels, and raisins until evenly coated. Stir in candy and decors.

Spread on wax paper or foil until cooled and chocolate is set. Break into chunks. Store loosely covered.

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

I found this recipe here. We had them for dinner tonight and the kids gobbled them up. I think these would be great for Christmas Breakfast.

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

heaping 1/2 cup old fashioned oats

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

healthy pinch of freshly ground nutmeg (I didn't have nutmeg so I used allspice)

2 cups buttermilk (I used regular milk)

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (I used corn syrup)

4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins

oil or cooking spray (for cooking)

Step 1: In a large bowl beat eggs. Add buttermilk, butter , maple syrup and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Mix well until mostly smooth. Fold in raisins and let batter set for a few minutes.

Step 2: Heat griddle or pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or spray with cooking spray. You can test to see if the pan is hot enough by adding a few drops of water, when the drops start to dance its hot enough.

Step 3: Pour 2 Tablespoons of batter onto the griddle. Cook on the first side until bubbles that form start to pop. You can also gently lift up the pancake to make sure the bottom is not overcooking, if it is the pan may be too hot and you will need to adjust the heat. Flip the pancake over with a spatula and cook until golden brown. Repeat until all the batter is gone. Let cooked pancakes rest on a heat proof plate in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.

Low Fat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 box Spice Cake Mix
1 15 oz can unsweetened pumpkin
1 C. Mini Semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheet with Pam. Ina a large bowl, stir cake mix and pumpkin together until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to drop tablespoons of dough on cookie sheet. Bake for 12 -14 minutes. Remove to cooling rack after 1 min on sheet.

Smores Bars

I found this recipe here. They turned out really good.

1/2 cup butter, soft

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized Hershey's milk chocolate bars
1 small jar marshmallow cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.

3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff. This is tricky, I made balls as if I was making cookies and flattened with a rolling pin then arranged them on top.

4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

4th of July Cupcakes

We made these cute cupcakes for the fourth of July. I think they turned out better than my first attempt. We used the paste food coloring and it turned red instead of pink. So fun!

Grate Cupcakes for Father's Day

I saw these in a Family Fun Magazine and thought they would be really cute for Father's Day!

Ingredients

• Brownie batter
• Black food coloring
• White frosting
• Orange sugar

• Caramel creams
• Red, yellow, and green candy fruit slices
• Hot Tamales candies

Instructions

1. To make a batch of 12, place liners in a muffin pan, oil them, and fill them two thirds full of your favorite brownie batter, then bake according to the recipe directions. Let the brownies cool.

2. In a small bowl, mix one or two drops of black food coloring with 1/4 cup white frosting. Transfer the frosting to a ziplock bag and snip a small section from the corner. Pipe grate lines onto each brownie and let them set for 20 minutes. Add embers with a sprinkle of orange sugar.

3. Prepare the grill food as instructed below and press it in place atop each brownie.

   
   Kebabs = A caramel cream and red, yellow, and green candy fruit slices, cut into small pieces + toothpick skewers

   
   Pork chop = two thirds of a caramel cream, molded with fingers + black food coloring, applied with a toothpick

   
   Hot dogs = Hot Tamales candies + black food coloring, applied with a toothpick

We made these for Pete for Father's Day. They turned out cute but the ones that Family Fun did were better so I attached their photo.

Glazed Lemon Coconut Bars

I have been looking for a recipe to use our fresh coconut that sounded good (I don't really like coconut) and also wasn't huge in calories. I found the perfect treat here. Each bar is only 150 calories.

Bars
1	cup Bisquick Heart Smart® mix
2	tablespoons powdered sugar
2	tablespoons firm margarine or butter
3/4	cup granulated sugar
1/4	cup flaked coconut
1	tablespoon Bisquick Heart Smart® mix
2	teaspoons grated lemon peel
2	tablespoons lemon juice
1/2	cup fat-free egg product
Lemon Glaze
1/2	cup powdered sugar
1	tablespoon lemon juice

1.	Heat oven to 350ºF. In small bowl, mix 1 cup Bisquick mix and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Cut in margarine, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through mixture in opposite directions), until crumbly. Press in ungreased 8-inch square pan.
2.	Bake uncovered about 10 minutes or until light brown. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all remaining bar ingredients. Pour coconut mixture over baked layer.
3.	Bake about 25 minutes longer or until set and golden brown. Loosen edges from sides of pan while warm.
4.	In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth; spread over bars. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For bars, cut into 4 rows by 3 rows.

Peppermint Crunch Cookies

1 roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups vanilla baking chips or semisweet chocolate chips
8 round hard peppermint candies crushed
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in 1/4 cup flour until well blended. Shape dough into balls. Bake 10-14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.

In small microwavable bowl microwave vanilla chips and 1 tbsp vegetable oil uncovered on Medium for 2-3 minutes, stirring once halfway through until melted. Stir until smooth.

Dip half of each cookie into melted chps mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper. Sprinkle each with about 1/2 tsp crushed candy. Let stand until set.

Cokie Caterpillars

1 roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookies.
3/4 cup vanilla frosting
10 drops green food coloring
10 pretzel sticks
16 miniture candy coated chocolate baking bits

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Shaped tsp of dough in balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 9-12 minutes. Cool 1 minute. Allow to cool completely.

In small bowl mix frosting and food coloring until well blended. Spread about 1 tsp frosting between 2 cookies. Add more frosting and cookies using 18 cookies to make each caterpillar. Repeat with remaining cookies to make 2 caterpillars.

Dip pretzels stick halves in frosting. Attach 4 sticks on each side of caterpllar to resemble leggs and 2 sticks on top to resemble antennae. Spread frosting on 2 baking bits and attach to resemble eyes, Spread on 6 more candy bits to resemble mouth. Add addition baking bits to resemble spots if desired.

Almond Sandwhich cookies

This is another recipe only this time from a Pillsbury calendar.

Cookies
1 roll refrigerated sugar dough
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp granulated sugar

Filling
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine softened
4 tsp milk
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 drop red food coloring

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in flour and almond extract until well blended.

Shape dough into balls. Place balls 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press bottom of glass dipped into sugar on each ball until 1/4 inch thick. Prick top of each cookie with a fork.

Bake 6 to 8 minutes unteil set but not brown. Cool 1 minute. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile in small world beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Spread aout 1 tsp filling on bottoms of half of the cookies. Top each with another cookie. Bottom side down; press gently. Store in refrigerator.

Easey Brownie Torte

This is another recipe from my Betty Crocker Calendar.

1 box Brownie Mix
water, vegetable oil, and eggs called for on brownie box

1 container of chocolate frosting

Chocolate curls if desired.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 13x9 inch pan with foil so foil extends about 2 inches over sides of pan. Spray foil with cooking spray.

Make and bake brownies as directed on box for 13x9 pan using water, oil, and eggs. Cool completely about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove fromm pan by lifting foil. Peel foil away. Cut brownie crosswise into thirds. Place one piece on serving plate.

Spoon frosting into microwavable bowl. Microwave uncovered on high for 15 to 20 seconds. Stir frosting until smooth.

Pour 1/3 of the frosting over brownie piece on serving plate. Place another brownie on top, and pour half of remaining frosting over second brownie. Top with remaining brownie piece, and then remaining frosting. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set. Garish with chocolate curls. Store loosely covered.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs (beaten)
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 package chocolate chips

Cream shortening and sugars together. Add eggs, vanilla and rest of ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes.

Gourmet Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

From Natalie Littlefield

Ritz Crackers
Peanut Butter/ or Nutella (Hazelnut Spread) or if you have a peanut allergy you could try frosting.
White or Regular Almond Bark

Make sandwiches with crackers and peanut butter- set aside.
Melt Almond Bark in glass bowl in microwave. Start 1 minute, then 30 seconds until melted.

Wax paper- dip peanut butter sandwich in almond bark pick up with a fork scraping the bottom on the side of the glass bowl, place on wax paper. Use the opposite color of almond bark to swiggle on top of cookie.