Monday morning pick me up...

Just a little something to start the day :) You can’t go wrong with chocolate on a Monday morning!

Cream Filled

I just can’t get enough of these little buggers! I have to say that each time I make these I love them more and more. This time instead of topping with a chocolate glade I just used the cream filling as a frosting and it turned out wonderfully. Click here for the recipe.

Fondant Hibiscus Cupcakes

Ok, fondant isn’t my favorite thing in the world but it sure is fun to work with. You can do just about anything. Here is the recipe I use for marshmallow fondant, it usually takes all if not more of the powdered sugar it calls for and you really hove to work it out to get a good consistency.

Marshmallow Fondant Recipe

Ingredients

16 ounces white mini-marshmallows
2 to 5 tablespoons water
2 pounds powdered sugar
½ cup Crisco shortening to keep your hands from sticking to the fondant

Directions

1. Melt marshmallows and 4 tablespoons of water in a microwave or double boiler
2. Place 3/4 of the powdered sugar on the top of the melted marshmallow mix and fold in gently for 1 minute.
3. Grease your hands and countertop you will be kneading on generously.(Make sure to get in between your fingers.)
4. Dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle of greased counter.
5. Start kneading like you would bread dough.
6. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and continue to knead by hand for 8 minutes until it takes form of a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing as you roll it out.
*if you feel that the fondant it to dry as you are rolling add a tsp of water at a time until you get the desired texture. It the fondant is to wet add powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time.

M&M Monster Cookie

Its that time again… cleaning out the pantry! These monster cookies got a little bit of everything in them, even corn flakes!
To make:
Follow your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I really like Nestle Toll house. Add in all of your half empty bags from the pantry. This particular batch got a little of the following:
About ½ c. White chocolate
About ½ c. Butterscotch
About ½ c. Dark chocolate
About 1 c. Coconut
About 1½ c. M&Ms
About 1 c. Oatmeal
About 1 c. Cornflakes
About 1 c. Peanut butter

Chocolate Peanut Butter

Ok, let me start off by saying these are fantastic. If you have little willpower you should not keep reading because I will be posting the recipe. Once you’ve had a taste of these you’ll crave them. Dare I say even dream about them :)

Whoever first paired chocolate and peanut butter, I applaud you!

Peanut Butter Frosting

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons milk, or as needed
2 cups confectioners' sugar
DIRECTIONS
1. Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

Oreo Fudge Bars

These are so scrumptious and rich! Have a big glass of ice cold milk close by if you attempt to make these! I know they are called Oreo Fudge Bars but I guess I didn’t think they were going to be so fudgey! I ended up chopping these in to bite size pieces because I think had I kept them in the original size I’d cut them it would have been to much to handle. The recipe is as follows.

Oreo Fudge Bars
adapted from thecrepesofwrath
1 18 oz. package of Oreo cookies
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9×13 pan with foil and lightly spray with Pam. Set aside 6 Oreo cookies for the topping.

2. In a small food processor grind the rest of the cookies. If you don’t have a food processor, just pound with a rolling pin until the cookies are crumbs. Add the salt
to the crumbs and stir to combine.

3. Melt the butter and gently stir together with the cookie crumb mixture. Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Coarsely chop the remaining cookies into chunks and set aside.

4. Over a double boiler or in the microwave (careful not to burn the chocolate - I usually melt the chips halfway and then stir them until they’ve melted completely), melt 3/4 cup semi-sweet and 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips together with the condensed milk and vanilla.

5. Stir the chocolate mixture frequently until smooth and spread evenly over the prepared cookie crust.

6. Sprinkle the mini (or regular) chocolate chips and the Oreo cookies chunks over the top of the filling. Press down gently into the chocolate topping. Bake for 20-22 minutes oven.

8. Chill in fridge until completely cold and set before cutting into bars or it will make a big mess

Almond Poppy Seed Cake Mix Muffins

Like I said I’ve been on a cake mix kick… These turned out pretty good, not quite like Costco but not to shabby.

Here is the recipe.

1 package white cake mix
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon almond extract

Prepare cake mix as directed and add poppy seeds and almond extract.

Cake Mix Lemon Pudding Cake

I must confess… I have made this 2 times already! I know that I said that the oatmeal cake was my favorite cake at the moment, but I lied. This one definitely takes the cake! No joke my mouth waters thinking about it. The first time I made this I took it to our girls night and by the end of the evening we tossed the forks aside as we sat around the coffee table and picked at it until we were so full we had to call it a day. Yummy! Here is the recipe for you all to enjoy.

1 package lemon cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant lemon pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water

Lemon curd

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
Water (to be added 1 tablespoon at a time) until you reach the desired consistency. It should be slightly runny but not soupy.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bunt pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate.

Once cake is cooled and on the serving plate pipe lemon curd around the top of the cake. Finish with a drizzle of glaze.

Cake Mix Muffins

I think that in a jam, cake mix is a wonderful thing. Here are a few recipes I’ve made recently using one of my favorite time saving ingredients!

Blueberry Cake Mix Muffins:

1 box white cake mix
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 Tablespoon almond extract

Prepare cake mix according to directions on the box. Add in almond extract and blueberries. Bake as directed in muffin tins.

Banana Cake Mix Muffins:

1 box yellow cake
3 mashed bananas
1 tablespoon baking soda

Prepare cake mix according to directions on the box. Add in baking soda and bananas. Bake at 350
*This also works well as a sheet cake or in a bunt pan.

Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Topping

This may be my favorite cake right now. My cousin’s mother in law, Donna, found this recipe in a news paper and brought it to a girl’s day we were having. Oh my gosh… it was divine. Donna had already left the party so I waited weeks to get the recipe from her. Now that it is in my possession, look out world! As this was the first time I made it I stuck to the recipe just as it is written. Yummy! Although I think this recipe is perfect as is, I am going to play around with it a bit. I will defiantly be making cupcakes with this in the near future, but I think I’ll have fun adding things as well. I hope you enjoy it was much as I did. Thanks Donna, I am forever grateful!

Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Topping

CAKE
1 cup old fashioned oats
½ cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Boil water. Pour 1 ¼ cups of boiling water over oats in a bowl. Cover and let stand 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9x13” cake pan.
3. Cream butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Add in remaining ingredients and mix well.
4. Pour into pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
5.

TOPPING
¼ cup butter softened
¼ cup heavy cream
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sweetened coconut
1 cup finely chopped pecans

1. Preheat broiler
2. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Spread evenly over warm cake. Place under broiler 2” from the top. Broil until lightly browned. 1-2 minutes.