Perfect Pumpkin Pie.

IMG_6022With Thanksgiving coming up, I thought I’d share a recipe with you all for the perfect Pumpkin Pie.  My mom is from the mid-west and therefore she is a pie master.  However, this recipe came right from the can of pumpkin but is perfect because it’s not too sweet but it’s still extremely tasty.  Also, Chelsea and Lindsay got me this awesome pie pan and server from Anthropologie for my birthday so it was so fun to put it to use!

IMG_6023

3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ginger
1/4 Tsp Cloves
2 Large Eggs
1 can pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk

Mix the above together and bake @ 425 degrees for 15 minutes then 350 degrees for 40-50 mins.  I used a pre-made pie crust but you can choose a crust of choice.

IMG_6024IMG_6030

Baked Red Velvet Donuts.

image

I have an extreme love for donuts even though they make me feel bad after I eat too many, they are just so delicious.  A good friend of mine was moving and gave me a bunch of his baking goods from his kitchen.  One giveaway was a donut pan and a boxed mix (shocker, I’m a sucker for box mixes) and I’d say these turned out pretty good.  They tasted more like cake circles since they weren’t deep fried but there’s nothing wrong with that 🙂

image
The box mix was from Stonewall.  Be warned, this red dye is extremely strong.  I’ve been a huge advocate of natural lately so I feel like this goes against my grain but since they tasted pretty good, I thought I’d pass along the info.

image
Ready for the oven.

image
Perfect cake donuts!

Best Boxed Mix Pumpkin Bread.

IMG_5491

I love to bake but if I’m being honest, I don’t always have the time to whip something up from scratch so I will frequent box baking from time to time :).  I picked up the Pumpkin bread mix from Andronico’s over the weekend and made one of the best box mix pumpkin bread I’ve had (aside from pumpkin bread from scratch, my mom makes the best!).  You have to add real pumpkin puree and of course I modified to ad some dark chocolate chips but it was really simple and delicious!

Chocolate Covered Goodness.

image

I’ve met a great group of colleagues at work and we’ve started a cooking club.  Every month or two, one of us will host the rest and we learn how to cook or bake something new.  This time around was a chocolate covered edition.  We went wild dipping and decorating some pretzel wands and strawberries!

image
Double boiling the chocolate is a must for success.  White chocolate is harder to keep melted but if you move quickly, you can get a lot out of one batch.

image
The dark chocolate double boiled stayed liquid for a long time.

image
First step is dipping the goods in chocolate.

image
Get your toppings ready!

image
We had a lot of fun with this 🙂

image

image
We added a lot of personality to some of the sticks.

image

image
You can even make little faces with different toppings.

image
We also made some delicious strawberries.

image
And dressed ’em up in tuxes.

image
Too cute!

image
We boxed up the goods and everyone could take them home.  It’s a great group dessert cooking activity!

Baked Blueberry French Toast.

Last weekend I needed to find a breakfast recipe that could supply enough tastiness for at least 11 people and I discovered a gem! I should tell you the majority of it needs to be prepared the night before, but the morning of your breakfast all you’ll need to do is pop it in the oven which is a plus!

What you’ll need:

2 medium sized loaves of french bread, 4 oz cream cheese, 1 cup and 1 tablespoon milk, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup blueberries, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 5 eggs, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 maple syrup

DSC_0764(Slice the medium sized loaves of french bread into cubes)

DSC_0768(Spray a deep dish pan with baking spray and place half of the bread cubes in the pan)

DSC_0772(Mix cream cheese, 1 tb of milk, and powdered sugar together to form a thick mixture)

DSC_0774(Pour that mixture over the pan of bread crumbs and sprinkle the majority of your blueberries on top. Place the remaining bread crumbs on top of the blueberries)

DSC_0780(Whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and maple syrup together)

DSC_0785(Pour that mixture over the breadcrumbs and sprinkle more blueberries on top. Cover with foil and let that sit over night.)

DSC_0786(The next morning bake the french toast at 375 degress with the foil ON for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 30 additional minutes)

DSC_0789(Serve with either maple syrup or a blueberry simple syrup which can be made easily as well)

Looking back on it, I would have added a touch more cinnamon and nutmeg for a little extra kick. If you are looking for something that will go over well for a large group, this is a great recipe to try!

Fakin’ It: Cookie Style

SMK_987796A_88862002_GingBrdMix_Ctn_R2_OLWe love cookies! We love to eat cookies! We love to eat holiday cookies even more! There are those special people who kill it when it comes to baking things from scratch, Brittany is one of those people. However, when she arrived at my house with a box of gingerbread cookie mix and said, “screw it, let’s use this box instead” I wiped the sweat from my brow because gingerbread cookies are the hardest to make! I tried once and it took 6 hours and they didn’t even taste good. But this box, this box is magic. All you do is add water and egg and heat those bad boys up in the oven for 8 minutes! It only took us 6 to eat them all up too!

DSC_0370(We grabbed some mint M&M’s and topped the warm cookies)

DSC_0379(And we force fed them to each other too)

DSC_0382(Nom!)

This cookie mix is amazing, they tasted homemade but without all of the hassle!

Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

My friend Smita told me about this super easy and delicious breakfast recipe that I had to share with you all! If you love cinnamon rolls and waffles, you HAVE to try this. Maybe even make it for breakfast before your Thanksgiving dinner! It’s one day, right?

Cinnamon Waffle(What you need: a can of cinnamon rolls and a waffle iron)

Cinnamon Waffle(Spray or butter your waffle iron and put three cinnamon rolls in. Close for about 1 minute)

Cinnamon Waffle(Take the cinnamon roll waffle out of the iron and you’re ready to ice it)

Cinnamon Waffle(Ice and eat!)

This is so easy and a real treat. Just make sure not to make it too often!

My Oh My, Pie.

IMG_4880Now that Fall is here, there’s nothing like a good baked treat.  I get all my baking recipes from my mom.  She really knows how to bake up the good stuff so that not only does it taste delicious but your home will smell like a bakery for hours afterward.  Over the weekend she made this delicious apple pie and it was a great way to end the weekend.  IMG_4888

Nothing like a piece of home made whole slice apple pie!

 

Homemade French Crepes.

This weekend I made one of the most delicious and easiest recipes for breakfast: French Crepes! Honestly, you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry already so you should give it a try. And if I can do it, so can you!

20130714-160853.jpg

(You will need: 1 cup of flour, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, a half cup of milk, and a pinch of salt. The filling can consist of your favorite fruits and jams or my favorite, Nutella!)

20130714-160904.jpg

(In a large bowl, whisk the flour and eggs together)

20130714-160915.jpg

(Slowly whisk in the milk, a half cup of water, salt, and melted butter until you get a smooth consistency)

20130714-160929.jpg

(Pour the batter in a lightly buttered pan over medium high heat in quarter cup increments. The thinner the pour, the better)

20130714-160940.jpg

(After 2 minutes flip over your crepe and cook for another 30 seconds)

20130714-160950.jpg

(Add Nutella or jam, and fruit of your choice)

20130714-160957.jpg

(Fold in half and serve when warm)

You can also get creative for breakfast and scramble eggs with cheese and serve in your crepe. For dinner, I have made Pesto Parmesan Chicken crepes. It’s one of the simplest things to cook and it always impresses people because it looks fancier than it is. These crepes take literally 2 minutes and 30 seconds to cook, it doesn’t get better than that!

Pecan Brittle with Apricots

Apricots are one of my favorite foods and the only time we can eat them is during the Summer! This recipe for pecan brittle with apricots takes only 15 minutes and is so easy to make, it’s the perfect Summer treat! Just follow these simple instructions.

20130630-081640.jpg
(Add one cup of sugar to a non-stick sauce pan)

20130630-081806.jpg

20130630-081835.jpg

20130630-081901.jpg
(Spray your baking dish with oil and pour your brittle mix in. Sprinkle sea salt on top and score with a sharp knife)

20130630-082012.jpg
(Once it cools, break into chunks and place in a cup with Greek yogurt and apricots)

It’s that easy and is really tasty!