Oreo Truffles

These delightful little bites of goodness have been called lots of things: Oreo Balls, Deer Poop, Etc. Not wanting to associate things that taste so good with Poop, I call them Oreo Truffles. I had these for the first time at a party and I found myself begging the maker of these for the recipe so I could feed my new found addiction.



Oreo Truffles

2 Packages (8 oz each) Cream Cheese, Softened
1 Package Oreo Cookies, finely crushed
2 Packages (16 Squares Total) Semi-Sweet Almond Bark, Melted

Instructions

1) Mix Crushed Cookies and Cream Cheese until well blended

2) Shape into 1-inch Balls (approximately 48). Refrigerate balls for 1 hour to harden

3) Dip in Melted Chocolate and place on waxed paper to harden.

4) Once hard, store in tightly covered container in refrigerator

Easy Chocolate Cake Glaze

I found this recipe when looking for something to top the Chocolate Amaretto Bundt Cake that I was making for a party. The combination was excellent and I feel like you could use this with most cake recipes. It is the perfect thing if you are looking for something other than a thick frosting. With cakes that are particularly rich, sometimes you want something light to top it off with - and this is the perfect thing.

Easy Chocolate Cake Glaze

1 can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 C Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1 tspn Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1) In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the Sweetened Condensed Milk and Chocolate Chips.

2) Cook, stirring constantly until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Do not allow it to bubble.

3) Remove from heat and add Vanilla.

4) Cool slightly before drizzling over a cake

Chocolate Amaretto Bundt Cake

One of my favorite flavors is almond, so I always try and find recipes that showcase this flavor - especially dessert recipes. When I needed to make a dessert for a New Years party, I found this great recipe that I wanted to try. I found this fantastic recipe in the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook, which has tons of great dessert recipes in it. Seeing as I bought a bundt pan for this occasion, I predict that you will be seeing a lot more bundt cake recipes...

Chocolate Amaretto Bundt Cake

2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 tspn Baking Soda
1 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Firmly Packed Light Brown Sugar
4 Large Eggs, Room Temperature
6oz Semi Sweet Chocolate, Melted
1 Cup Milk
3 tspns Almond Extract
1 tspn Vanilla Extract
4 Tbspn Almond Flavored Liquor

Instructions

1) Preheat the Oven to 350. Grease and Flour a 10 inch Bundt Pan

2) Sift the Flour and Baking Soda together, set aside

3) With an electric mixer on medium speed, combine the Butter, Sugar and Brown Sugar until fluffy. Add the Eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the Chocolate and mix well. Add the Flour mix in thirds, alternating with Milk and the Extracts. Beat after each addition until smooth

4) Mix in the liquor and Pour batter into the prepared pan

5) Bake 45-50 minutes until cake is baked through. Cool in a pan for 20 minutes. Then remove from pan and cool on a wire rack completely.

6) Drizzle with Easy Chocolate Cake Glaze or Dust with Powdered Sugar

Gingerbread Cookies

So many things can go wrong with Gingerbread Cookies. The dough can be overspiced, underspiced or dry with very little effort on the baker's part. I found the perfect gingerbread cookie recipe from Food Network. The cookies came out perfectly moist and chewy and had a wonderful ginger flavor without being overpowering. Alex Guarnascelli, the baker behind this recipe also offers a recipe for an orange frosting to use with this recipe, but I didn't make that. I instead just used standard white cookie icing on some and left some plain; both tasted great. Just as a general cookie baking suggestion - if you are baking several cookies in one day, don't leave this until the last recipe. Gingerbread cookies by nature are a very labor intensive cookie to make, so make it your first or only cookie when baking.

Gingerbread Cookies

1 1/2 Sticks Lightly Salted Butter, Softened
1 2/3 Cups Sugar
1 Orange, Zested
4 Cups All Purpose Flour (plus extra for rolling)
1 1/2 tspn Baking Powder
1/2 tspn Baking Soda
1 Tbspn Ground Ginger
1/2 tspn Ground Nutmeg
1/2 tspn Ground Allspice
2 tspns Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tspn Ground Cloves
1/2 tspn Kosher Salt
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Dark Molasses
1 Lemon, Juiced

1) In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the butter, sugar and orange zest and beat until smooth - 5 to 8 minutes

2) Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, dry ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Whisk to blend. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, molasses and lemon juice.

3) Preheat Oven to 350
4) When the butter and sugar are integrated, lower the speed of the mixer and add the dry ingredients. Add the egg mixture and when blended, remove the bowl from the machine. Divide the cookie dough in half.

5) Press the first half of the dough in between 2 sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes. Repeat with the second half. This step will make it easier to finish rolling out the dough when it has chilled. It will also mean you only have half of the dough getting warm as you roll it.
6) Lightly flour a flat surface. Use a floured rolling pin to gently roll the first half of the dough about 1/2-inch thick. Lightly flour the cookie cutter(s) and cut the shapes, making as few scraps as possible. Use a metal spatula to gently transfer them, cookie by cookie, (the cookies should be similar size) to a baking sheet. Repeat with the other half of the dough and transfer them to another baking sheet.
7) Bake until brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

I wanted to try an new cookie recipe for my annual cookie exchange and this one seemed to be one of the more popular cookies. It has a really unique flavor that is just like hot chocolate - perfect with a glass of milk. I got this recipe from Betty Crocker, and though I wasn't looking for a "shortcut cookie recipe" this one is, so it is perfect if you need a quick recipe or if you are making several cookies because this one saves you time by using a mix as the base.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
Makes: 48

1/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Butter
1 19oz Package of Mexican Hot Chocolate Drink Mix
1 Pouch (1lb 1.5oz) Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1 Egg
1 Cup Miniature Semisweet Chocolate Chips

1) Heat oven to 375

2) In a small bowl mix: sugar and cinnamon; set aside. In 1-quart saucepan, melt butter and hot chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly.

3) Place cookie mix into a large bowl. Stir in melted butter mixture and egg until soft dough forms (you may need to add a little water). Stir in chocolate chips.

4) Shape into balls, roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool 3 minutes

Almond Cream Spritz Cookies

December is the month for Christmas cookies and I love trying new recipes. Unfortunately, some of them don't always work out as planned - but this is one that I modified from the original. The recipe is for dough to be used in a cookie press, but when my Pampered Chef cookie press failed me I made this into a ball cookie instead and it worked perfectly. The next time I make these, I will also increase the amount of the almond extract too - they didn't have as strong of as almond flavor as I had hoped for.

Almond Cream Spritz
Makes: 60

1 Cup Butter, Softened
1 (3 oz) Package Cream Cheese, Softened
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 tsp. Almond Extract
1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
Finely Chopped Almonds

1) Preheat oven to 375

2) Beat butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add sugar, almond extract and vanilla. Beat until combined.

3) Stir in flour. Cover and chill dough for about 30 minutes or until easily worked but not too stiff. Pack dough into cookie press.

4) Force dough through press onto ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with almonds

5) Bake 8-10 minutes or until endes of cookies are firm but not brown. Allow to cool on baking sheet one minute and them move to wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting

I recently made a birthday cake for my daughter's 3rd birthday party. I really wanted something that both kids and adults would like - and I got numerous compliments about this one. It has a hint of espresso flavor, which I loved and it is a great creamy and light consistency. This frosting does best when you make it the day that you are going to use it and don't have to refrigerate it. This recipe comes from Recipezaar from Courtley.

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 lb bittersweet chocolate (good quality)
6 1/2oz unsalted butter
1 tsp espresso powder dissolved in
1 Tbsp hot water
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 sifted powdered sugar
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
5 oz unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 C heavy cream

1) Chop chocolate into small pieces and place in a stainless steel bowl with 6 1/2 oz butter. Place over pan of simmering water

2) Whisk together as soon as chocolate and butter soften. Keep whisking until just melted and combined

3) Remove from heat and stir in espresso and vanilla

4) Cool to room temperature

5) Whisk together powdered sugar, cocoa and salt in a bowl. Place 5 oz of unsalted butter and 1/2 of powdered sugar in a food processor. Process scraping down the sides

6) Add the rest of the powdered sugar mixture, start processor and slowly add in cream

7) Process for about 10 seconds

8) Whisk butter/cocoa mixture together with room temperature chocolate/espresso mixture in a large bowl until it becomes shiny and smooth

9) Bring to room temperature before using

Homemade Apple Pie

So for Thanksgiving I was asked to bring an Apple Pie. I really wanted to make it from scratch and scoured my various recipe sites for the perfect recipe. I settled for two of Paula Deen's Recipes from Food Network. The crust came out flaky and buttery and everyone commented how great it was. The pie itself was pretty amazing, but I did make a couple of modifications to the recipe after reading some reviews. I used 8oz of cinnamon applesauce instead of 16oz of regular applesauce and I doubled the crunch topping.

Paula's Perfect Pie Crust

2 1/2 C All Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Fine Salt
3 Tbspn Granulated White Sugar
1/4 C Vegetable Shortening, Cold
12 Tbson Butter, Cold and Cubed
1/4 C to 1/2 C Ice Water

1) In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar and salt.

2) Add the shortening and break it up with your hands as you start to coat it all up with the flour. Add the cold butter cubes and work it into the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter. Work it quickly, so the butter doesn't get too soft, until the mixture is crumbly, like very coarse cornmeal.

3) Add the ice water a little at a time, until the mixture comes together forming a dough. Bring the dough together into a ball.

4) When it comes together stop working it otherwise the dough will get over-worked and tough. Divide the dough in half and flatten it slightly to form a disk shape. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

5) On a floured surface, roll each disk out into a 10 to 11 inch circle to make a 9 inch pie.

Crunch Top Apple Pie

Paula's Perfect Pie Crust (9 inches)
3/4 C Sugar
1 Tbspn All Purpose Flour
1 tspn Ground Cinnamon
Dash Salt
3 1/2 C Peeled, Chopped Cooking Apples
1 (16oz) Jar Applesauce
1 Tbspn Lemon Juice
2 Tbspn Butter, Chopped into Small Pieces

Crunch Topping

3 Tbspn All Purpose Flour
1 Tbspn Sugar
Dash Salt
1 Tbspn Butter, at Room Temperature

1) Preheat Oven to 425

2) Line a 9 inch pie pan with half of dough (1 disk)

3) Combine Sugar, Flour, Cinnamon and Salt in a bowl. Stir in Applesauce, Apples and Lemon Juice.

4) Spoon Apple mixture into pie pan and dot with Butter.

5) Cut remaining crust into strips; arrange in a lattice design over top of pie.

6) For crunch topping, combine Flour, Sugar and Salt in bowl. Using a fork, cut in Butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over top of crust.

7) Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and continue to bake for about 45 minutes or until crust and topping are golden brown.

Apple Bread

In my ongoing quest to find a use for the 5 pounds of apples that my mother in law has gifted me, I was desperate to find something to make with apples that was not a pie. I found this recipe for Apple Bread on All Recipes by Jennifer. This bread was pretty good, but I would bake it less (start at 40 minutes) and I did make some changes based on some user suggestions: I added 2 Tsp of vegetable oil, I used half brown and half white sugar and I used pumkin pie spice instead of cloves. Another user suggested a glaze of 1 C powdered sugar and 2 Tspn. Half and Half. I did not try this, but will next time.

Apple Bread

1/2 C Butter Softened
1 C Sugar
2 Eggs
2 C All Purpose Flour
1 Tspn Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
2 Apples - Peeled, Cored and Chopped

1) Preheat Oven to 350

2) In a Bowl mix Butter and Sugar until Sooth and Creamy. Beat in Eggs.

3) In a Separate Bowl, Sift Together the Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, Cinnamon and Cloves. Mix into Butter Mixture until Moistened. Fold in the Apples. Transfer into a Lightly Greased Loaf Pan.

4) Bake 1 Hour in Preheated Oven. Cool in Pan for 15 Minutes before Removing.

Pumpkin Dip

'Tis the season for all things pumpkin - and I was introduced to a great dessert that will hit the spot that doesn't involve frozen pie crust or preheating your oven! I was having a chill night with some girls and one of them brought this amazing dip that it is nearly impossible to stop eating once you have started.

Pumpkin Dip

3 oz Cream Cheese Softened
1/2 C Powdered Sugar
1 C Canned Pumpkin (1/2 Can)
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Ginger
8oz Tub Cool Whip

1) Beat together Cream Cheese and Powdered Sugar

2) Add Pumpkin, Ground Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger and Stir Well

3) Fold in Cool Whip

4) Serve with Cookies, Graham Crackers, Apples or Vanilla Wafers...or just eat with a spoon :)

Apple Crumb Pie

This is the season for Homemade Apple Pie, and I have found a great recipe. It is the perfect combination of sweet, delicious, crumbly goodness. I found this recipe on Allrecipes by Jackie Smith. It gets an average 5 star rating out of 262 reviews; it doesn't disappoint.

It is a little sweeter than most apple pies, so you should make this one if you like the kind of apple pie that is crumbly with cinnamon and sugary flavors. The photo features the lattice-style topping which was a special request from the husband, but normally I would just leave it as it - it gets a beautiful golden brown.




Apple Crumb Pie

1 9 inch pie shell deep dish
6 C Thinly Sliced Apples
1 Tbspn Lemon Juice
3\4 C White Sugar
2 Tbspn All Purpose Flour
1\2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1\8 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
1\2 C Raisins (Optional)
1\2 C Chopped Walnuts (Optional)
1\2 C All Purpose Flour
1\2 C Packed Brown Sugar
3 Tbspn Butter


1) Preheat Oven to 375 Degrees

2) Place sliced apples in a large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix together white sugar, 2 Tablespoons flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle mixture over apples. Toss until apples are evenly coated. Stir in raisins and walnuts if desired and spoon into pie shell.

3) In a small bowl mix together 1\2 C flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over apple filling. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.

4) Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes until golden brown.