Fruit Salsa with Baked Cinnamon Chips

I found this recipe here and it was a huge hit!!

Ingredients

• 2 kiwis, peeled and diced
• 2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
• 8 ounces raspberries
• 1 (16 oz) carton of strawberries, diced
• 2 tablespoons white sugar (more or less to taste)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar (more or less to taste)
• 3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor (I used strawberry)
• 10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• melted butter or butter flavored cooking spray
Cinnamon sugar:
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Coat one side of each flour tortilla with melted butter or butter flavored cooking spray. Sprinkle tortillas with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Spray again with cooking spray (not necessary if using melted butter).
4. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture. This salsa can also be serve with cinnamon graham grackers or cinnamon pita chips. Best when made and eaten the same day otherwise the fruit gives off so too much juice and it gets runny.

Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder*
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
• 6 Tbsp all vegetable shortening, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp red food coloring
• 1 1/3 cups white chocolate chips, divided

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda and salt, set aside. Add butter, shortening and sugar to the bowl of an electric stand mixer and mix on medium speed until very pale and fluffy about 4 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk and mix until combine. Add vinegar, vanilla and food coloring and mix until well blended. Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix just until combine. Mix in 1/2 cup white chocolate chips. Scoop dough out by the heaping tablespoonfuls (about 1 1/2 Tbsp) and roll into balls and place on buttered or Silpat lined cookie sheets. Gently press about 6 white chocolate chips into the top of each cookie, being careful not to flatten the cookies (if you do flatten them a bit just reshape them to the height they had before adding the chips) and bake in preheated oven 8 - 9 minutes. Allow to cool several minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Store cookies in an airtight container. 

Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Candy Cane Snowballs

Candy Cane Snowballs

• 3 c. powdered sugar, divided
• 1 1/4 c butter, softened
• 2 t. vanilla (or if you’d prefer a stronger peppermint flavor, you can replace 1 t. of vanilla with a teaspoon of peppermint extract)
• 1 egg
• 3 c. flour
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 3/4 c. finely crushed candy canes, divided
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 2-3 T. milk

1. In a mixing bowl, beat 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg and beat until combined.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Slowly add to mixing bowl, beating until combined, about 1 minute. Stir 1/2 cup finely crushed candy canes in by hand.
3. Roll dough into small balls using just under a teaspoon of dough. Rolls balls through granulated sugar to coat and place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool.
4. While cookies bake, stir together remaining 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar with 2-3 T. of milk. Add just enough milk to form a thick glaze. Drizzle over cooled cookies and top with remaining crushed candy canes immediately.

Carrot Cake

I am not a huge fan of carrot cake but it was my mother in laws birthday it is her favorite cake so I made this for her. It is by far the best carrot cake that I have ever had. I don't like chunks so I blended the carrots and pineapple....so good.

3 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 c. sugar
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 c. buttermilk
3/4 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (1 lb.) bag carrots, peeled and grated
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 c. chopped walnuts
1 c. flaked coconut
1/2 c. raisins Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
Marzipan carrots (optional)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside. Combine sugars, buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract in a large bowl; stir until all ingredients are well blended. Add flour mixture, carrots, pineapple, walnuts, coconut and raisins, stirring just until well blended.

Grease 3 (8 inch) round cake pans. Line bottoms with waxed paper; grease and flour waxed paper. Pour batter into cake pans.

Bake at 350°F. for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; loosen cake layers from edges of pans with a sharp knife and invert onto wire racks. Peel off waxed paper and cool completely.

Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with marzipan carrots, if desired. Cover and refrigerate overnight before cutting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (16 oz.) pkg. powdered sugar
2 tsp. grated orange rind
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl; beat until light and fluffy. Add sugar, orange rind and vanilla, mixing well.

Makes enough frosting for 1 (3 layer) cake.

Mint Brownies

It was my friend Bonnie's birthday and her favorite dessert is mint chocolate so for her party that is what I made, Mint Brownies. I now think that they are my favorite and I think that these go great with Bryers Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.

1 c. margarine
1/2 c. cocoa
2 Tbsp. honey
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts
12 oz. chocolate icing (Use your own icing recipe or purchase some chocolate frosting. You can also search the Internet for chocolate icing recipes.)

MINT ICING

5 Tbsp. margarine
dash of salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

1. Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.

2. Prepare mint icing: Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

3. Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing.

CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES OR BARS

I was in a hurry and needed to make a fast dessert but was really craving cookies. I remember that my mom used to always make these cookies bars and it would sure save me a lot of time so this is what I made. Not only did they save a lot of time, they were super good as well.




1 c. butter
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp. hot water
1 1/2 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
2 c. oatmeal
12 oz. chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 - 1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Cream butter, add sugar, cream together. Add eggs, hot water, mix together. Add flour, soda, salt. Add oatmeal, chocolate chips, vanilla and nuts slowly. Mix well. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet. Bake 350 degrees, 10-12 minutes.

For bars put in greased 9x11 inch pan. Bake 350 degrees 20-25 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Put on top while still hot. After melted, spread.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is not an old family recipe, I just received the recipe about two months ago but I have been making them a lot. Whenever Doug has a school function and we are suppose to bring dessert, this is what he asked me to make. Super yummy...enjoy!!

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups of white flour
4 cups of rolled oats (blend 2 cups until powder)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 bag of chocolate chips

Cream: butter, sugar, brown sugar
Add: eggs and vanilla
Mix together: flour, oats, salt, baking powder, and baking soda
Mix all ingredients together and then add chocolate chips

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes

Raspberry Lemon Coconut Cake

It was Doug's Birthday this month and his three favorite ingredients in cake are raspberry, lemon, and coconut so I was on a search and found this cake here which looks and taste amazing. She made it with three layers but I have two nine month old boys who need a lot of attention so I did two layers. Her pictures are much more professional then mine so have a look but here is what mine looked like and here is the recipe.

2 1/4 cups (244g) cake flour
1 tablespoon (12g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup (295ml) whole milk or buttermilk, room temperature
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 1/2 cup (302g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons fine lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons 113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

Lemon Buttercream
1 cup (201g) sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (339g) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup (59ml) fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


2/3 cup raspberry preserves (strained for seeds, if desired)
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded or desiccated coconut (I'm using desiccated for this cake)

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F and place a rack in the lower third of your oven. Coat two 8" or 9" pans with butter or nonstick spray and line the bottoms with a circle of parchment. Place the pans on a baking sheet and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a second small bowl, combine the milk and egg whites and set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the sugar and lemon zest and mix for a minute on medium speed until fragrant. Add the butter and cream together on medium speed for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the lemon extract and then grab your bowl of flour and milk.

Reduce the mixer's speed to slow and add 1/3rd of the flour. Once moistened, increase the speed to medium and mix until incorporated. Then add 1/2 the milk mixture and beat until the mixture is uniform. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk, alternating until you've finished with the last 1/3rd of the flour. Mix the batter for a further 2 minutes to ensure it is lump free and well aerated.

Divide the batter between your baking pans (I think it was a bit over 500g for each pan) and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the centers of the cake springs back when touched lightly.

Place the cakes on wire racks to cool. After a few minutes, run a knife around the outside of the pan to release the cake and remove from the pans. Allow to cool right side up until room temperature.

To make the buttercream:

Combine the sugar and egg whites in a bowl over simmering water. Whisking constantly, beat until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar is no longer gritty. Remove from heat and continue to beat until you have a thick, glossy meringue.

Transfer the meringue to the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat for several minutes on medium speed. Once the bowl of the mixer feels cool to the touch you can add your butter, one stick at a time beating on medium high. Once the butter is all in, continue to beat for 6-10 minutes.

The mixture may seem to curdle at some point but don't worry, continue to beat and it will come together into a velvety buttercream.

Once well beaten, you can add the lemon juice a little at a time, beat until absorbed and then adding more. Then add the vanilla and you're ready to frost.

To assemble the cake:

For a four layer cake, level and divide the layers with a serrated knife. Place the bottom layer onto a cake round (or onto a cake plate with tuck strips of wax paper under the cake to protect the plate while frosting).

Spread a third of the raspberry preserves onto the bottom layer of the cake and then a layer of buttercream. The trick to layering buttercream on top of a slippery layer of preserves is to put your buttercream into a disposable piping bag (or ziplock bag) and cut off a 1/3" diameter opening. Starting in the center of the layer, pipe a coil of buttercream. Continue to coil tightly, round and round until you have an even layer of icing on top. No need to spread the frosting with a spatula using this method. Top with a second layer of cake and repeat two more times. Place the last layer on top and then crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of icing. Chill the cake until the icing is firm and then frost the cake with the remaining butter cream. Smooth the remaining buttercream over the cake with an offset spatula until it is level and smooth.

Sprinkle the coconut over the top of the cake and coat the sides by gently pouring the coconut between your hand and the cake.

The cake is best eaten the day it is made. If you need to store it, refrigerate it covered for up to two days, allowing plenty of time to bring it back to room temperature before serving.

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Doug is a huge fan of peanut butter so I often make these for him. I make these also when I am trying to stay away from eating to many desserts and these aren't chocolate so I tell myself that I am safe. But I end up kidding myself and eating a lot anyway.

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions:

1. Cream together butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Beat in eggs.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter. Put batter in refrigerator for 1 hour.
3. Roll into 1 - inch balls and put on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degrees F oven about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake.

Sport Party Cupcakes

Thanks to my mother in law, I have the Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book and I just love it and I am always looking for excuses to use ideas from it. When my friend mentioned that she needed help with her three year old sons birthday party and that she wanted it to be a sports party I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I made just a regular chocolate cupcakes but the excitement was in the decorating. We bought the right colored sprinkles (orange and white) and decorating jell (black and red) to make these adorable cupcakes that were a hit.

Oreo Truffles

This is a recipe that my sister has been making for years, she calls them Polar Balls(she uses the white bark chocolate). I have started calling them Oreo Truffles because I don't get such strange looks. I got the idea from Bakerella to make them look like footballs for a sports party. My sister also calls these yummy goodness and I have to agree.

1 package (8oz) cream cheese

1 package Oreo Cookies

Bark Chocolate (any color or flavor)

Crumble cookies

add cream cheese

Make into round balls

Dip into chocolate

Brownie Candy Cups

This is a recipe that I got from Bakerella. I love how simple it is to make and it looks like you put a lot more work into making them then it really took. These are always a hit at parties because they are small and easy to serve and of course taste great.

Brownie Candy Cups

1 package Duncan Hines Chocolate Lovers Double Fudge Brownie Mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
30 mini Reeses cups unwrapped
1 Box Reynolds 2-inch aluminum foil mini cups for muffins

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Place 30 foil liners on baking sheet
3. Combine brownie mix, contents from fudge packet in mix, eggs, water and oil.
4. Stir with spoon until well blended. (about 50 strokes)
5. Fill each liner with 2 tablespoons of batter
6. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and remove from oven
7. Push 1 Reeses in center of each “brownie cupcake” until even with surface of the batter.
8. Bake 5-7 minutes longer.
9. Cool 5-10 minutes in pan and then move to cooling rack to cool completely.

Surprise Cookies

This is a great recipe from none other...Martha Stewart. We had a friend next door to us in NYC that worked for Martha Stewart and she would bake and then bring us these wonderful little cookies. They are always a hit when I make them.

Cookie

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally

Frosting

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.
3. Using a tablespoon or 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begins to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
5. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.

Frosting

Place confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in butter and cocoa powder. Add milk and vanilla, and whisk until well combined.

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:	2 cups butter (4 cubes) 4 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 cup milk (add ½ now, and ½ after dry ingredients) 8 cups flour 4 tsp baking powder 2 tsp salt 2 tsp vanilla Icing 1 cube butter Bag of powdered sugar (2 lbs) Add milk until thick
Directions:	Cool for ½ hour. Bake at 375º for 10 - 12 minutes

Carmel Corn

Ingredients:	1 box (1 lb) light brown sugar 1 c. Karo syrup 2 sticks butter 1 c. sweetened condensed milk
Directions:	Melt in pan and bring just to a boil. Stirring frequently, cook until sugar is thouroughly dissolved (Careful not to burn). Pour all over popped corn. EASY!!!

Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:	graham cracker crust strawberry cream cheese strawberries strawberry glaze whip cream
Directions:	Put strawberry cream cheese on the bottom of pie crust. Mix together strawberries and strawberry glaze and pour on top. Add whip cream and serve.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients:	8 oz cream cheese 1/4 c. sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 egg 1 1/4 c pumkin 1/2 c sugar 1 tsp cinnamin 1/4 tsp ginger 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1 c evaporated milk 2 eggs
Directions:	Mix together first 4 ingrediants. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Mix together remaining ingrediants and pour over cream cheese mixture. Bake 350º for 60 minutes or until done.

Magic Cookie Bars

Ingredients:	1/2 c. butter 1 1/2 c. graham gracker crumbs 1 (14 oz.) can Eagle brand swtnd cndnsd milk 1 (6 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate morsels(can add more) 1 1/3 c. coconut(opt.) 1 c. chopped nuts(opt.)
Directions:	Preheat oven to 350º (325º for glass dish). In 9X13 baking pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle crumbs over butter; pour Eagle brand evenly over crumbs. Top evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool thoroughly before cutting. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Bundt Cake

Ingredients:	Cake mix Pkg of pudding 4 eggs 1 c. sour cream 1/2 c. water 1/2 c. butter flavor shortening
Directions:	Heat oven at 350º. Grease bundt pan and pour mixture into it. Bake for 45 minutes. Can put icing over the top or powdered sugar.

Sticky Buns

Ingredients:	28 Rhodes frozen dinner rolls 1 small package vanilla pudding 1 cup brown sugar 1 cube of butter, melted
Directions:	In an ungreased 9x13 pan place 28 rolls. Sprinkle the package of vanilla pudding over rolls. Combine brown sugar and butter and pour over the top. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Do all this at bedtime and place in the oven. Let it sit overnight. In the morning heat oven at 350º and bake for 20 min. Cool for 5 min. and then turn over onto cookie sheet lined with tin foil.