Cake mix cookie bar

Everywhere I look I see something involving cake mix and pudding mix. Sounds very strange but I gave in. These cookie cake bars are so amazingly moist! Its a good thing I gave most away because I could probably just sit there with the pan and eat them all....no joke. Also they whip up really fast if you need just one more Christmas treat! Or just a treat because its a Monday afternoon say and the baby wont nap...and then you eat the pan all by yourself.... or not just saying.

You need
A box of yellow cake mix
A small box of instant vanilla pudding
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips. (I used half m&ms half white chocolate chips)

What you do
Preheat oven to 350° Mix all the ingredients in one bowl then stir in the chocolate chips. Poor into a well oiled 9x13 pan. Bake for 20-30 min until golden and starting to look crisp around the edges.

Enjoy!!!

Santa Cupcakes

Wow this week has been just a little bit crazy!! With trying to finish up Christmas stuff and having my daughters 1st birthday party a little early ( her actual birthday is the 30th). I have had a lot going on, as I am sure you do too! Now did your kids sign you up to make cupcakes for the holiday party? I totally signed myself up this last week not thinking about craziness going on. These are cute and quick cupcakes.


What you need

A batch of your favorite white cupcakes
Red sugar crystals
Some white frosting
Red and green M&Ms
Mini chocolate chips
Mini marshmallows
Coconut

What you do

My best tip is do this one cupcake at a time so the frosting is still wet not dried out. Lightly frost your cupcake, dip half your cupcake in the red sprinkles. Line the rim of the red with mini marshmallows that have been cut in half, and out one whole one on the top of your red. Now use mini chocolate chips for eyes M&M for a nose and coconut for a beard. Done and done. 

 (please note I did not do one at a time and ended up having to add a little frosting about 1/2 way because it was drying out)

I just think these little guys are so cute!!!!

M&M peppermint bark cut outs

I really wanted to make some kind of bark but everywhere you look there is peppermint bark and I wanted something different. And yes I ended up with peppermint but they are little different. I originally planned on just chocolate and white chocolate with M&Ms but when I saw peppermint candy melts I just had to!!! I love the little red flakes in the white chocolate and the peppermint isn't over powering and of course M&Ms are just chocolate so I couldn't go wrong adding a little peppermint. But what makes these really fun is the shapes!! Can't you imagine yourself packing these cute little things up for your child's teacher? Oh and guess what it took me like maybe 30 min including the time in the refrigerator to harden!!! Oh and my husband says they remind him of peppermint mochas. In my house that't one of the biggest compliments out there.

What You need

8oz semi sweet chocolate

1 bag Wilton Peppermint candy melts

Red and Green M&Ms       

cookie cutters

What to do

Melt your chocolate in a double boiler. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and lay out cookie cutters. Once chocolate is melted and smooth place some chocolate inside a cookie cutter and spread to the edges with something like a chopstick. Once all filled place in the refrigerator for 10 min. Once chocolate has hardened melt the candy melts in the microwave and repeat on top of the hardened chocolate. While still warm place M&Ms on each candy. Harden again for about 15 minutes. to pop out of the cookie cutter use a paring knife along the edges. 

 

winter link party and giveaway!!!

Well It's time again for another wonderful link party and this time we're including a give away too!

     Crafts, Cakes, and Cats                                     Michelle's Tasty Creations

     Facebook Page                                                  Facebook Page

     Pinterest                                                            Twitter

                                                                              Pinterest

     Hot Eats and Cool Reads                                  MorningNooNight

     Facebook Page                                                 Facebook Page
     Twitter                                                              Pinterest
     Pinterest                                                                               

Here's what your hostesses have been up to

~Starting with the top left we have ~

Gingersnap Cookie Sandwiches with Cream Cheese Filling from: Crafts, Cakes, & Cats

Creamy Cranberry Salad from: Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Snowman Tea Light Holder from: MorningNooNight

Ornament Wreath from: MorningNooNight

Candy Cane Biscotti from: Crafts, Cakes, & Cats

German Chocolate Cake from: Crafts, Cakes, & Cats

Big Crunchy Sugar Cookies from: Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Candy Cane Cupcakes from: MorningNooNight

Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies from: Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Peppermint Kiss Cookies from: Michelle's Tasty Creations

Candy Cane Cookies from: Michelle's Tasty Creations

Swedish Christmas Cookies from: Michelle's Tasty Creations

~Now lets see what you've been up to~

~A few things to remember~

Please only link up Christmas/Winter recipes, crafts, DIY, tutorials, printables, etc. that YOU have created.

Please don't link up any Etsy shops, giveaways, or other link parties.

By linking to this party you give us permission to share your post on our blogs and other social media.

Please share this party by linking back to us in your post or by adding this party to your party page.

Be sure to stop by and visit a few of the other blogs that have posted; we all love to see sweet comments.

We're also having a wonderful giveaway - enter to win

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Candy Cane Biscotti

A favorite in our house is biscotti. Probably because we love coffee and its sooooo tastey dipped in coffee. This is a very simple treat, it would make a great little side to coffee after dinner for your next small get toghether. Or my friend is packing it up and taking it on the road with her as she leaves tomorrow to head to her Thanksgiving destination. With Thanksgiving so late this year I am feeling very behind and December is a mighty busy month for us this year. I guess I best get moving on things!!

Candy Cane Biscotti

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
3 1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
Chocolate for melting
Crushed candy canes


Preheat your oven to 375°F and grease or line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In your stand mixer, mix together the oil, eggs, vanilla, and sugar. In a separate bowl mix together the flour and baking powder. Slowly add the flour to your egg mixture until a heavy dough is formed.

Half your dough and form a roll almost the length of your cookie sheet and flatten to about 1/2 inch thick. I found this easiest if my hands were just slightly damp and I flattened with the palm of my hand.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack. Once its cool to the touch slice into 1/2 pieces and place back on the cookie sheets cut side up. Back again for 6-10 minutes then flip and bake again.

Once cooled dip 1/2 of each biscotti into the chocolate and top with the crushed candy cane.

Gingersnap cookie sandwich with cream cheese frosting center

Ok so the title is a little long but these cookies are amazing!! And I know for a fact because, I talked to him myself, that Santa wants a lot of these during his Christmas expedition. Speaking of Christmas its my babies first!! I am so filled with excitement and sadness since her birthday is just 5 days later and she won't be a baby but a toddler (insert sad face here), I am all ready to start the family traditions and since this is her first I guess this year we are figuring out what those are gonna be and I am thinking these cookies made the list for sure!!


Gingersnap cookies (you need an even number of cookies)
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup shortening
1/4 molasses
1 egg
sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl mix together the  flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and set aside. In your stand mixer beat the sugar and shortening on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and molasses then slowly add the flour mixture.

Once well mixed make 1 inch balls with the dough and roll in the extra sugar. Place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and bake for 12 minutes. Let cool briefly on the cookie sheet then transfer to a cooling rack.


Cream Cheese filling
2 8oz packages of room temperature cream cheese
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla


Beat cream cheese until soft and add the sugar and vanilla. Beat until you are happy with the smoothness.

Place some filling on the bottom of a cookie and top with another! These are great just like this but to add some fun to them I dipped them in white chocolate and decorated them.

TIP**
Make these cookie early! Say if you need them at night make them that morning. The cookie its self with get all chewy from the cream cheese filling!

Make sure you store these cookies in the refrigerator.

Strawberry cream puffs

So I last posted a fabulous German Chocolate cake that I made for dessert night. My husband made cream puffs! These airy little things are filled with my absolute favorite thing....home made strawberry whipped cream! I seriously could just sit with the whole bowl and eat it all by its self!

What you need (puffs from Chow.com)

Puffs
8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs at room temperature.


What to do
Heat oven to 425° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Heat butter, milk, 1/2 cup water, sugar, and salt in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat until the butter has melted and there is a slight boil. Reduce to low and add all of the flour, stir well until fully incorporated. Cook and stir constantly until the dough forms a smooth single ball. about 5 minutes.

Transfer to your mixing bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Beat each egg one at a time, making sure its well mixed with each egg. Do this process until the mixture is smooth and sticky, about 4 minutes.

Transfer dough to a large zip lock bag or a pipping bag. Pipe 12 small round mounds on your baking sheet about 2 inches wide spaced about 1 1/2 inches apart.

Dip your finger in some water and smooth the top of each mound. Place the baking sheet in the oven and reduce the heat to 350° and bake for 45-50 minutes. Do not open the door at all until at least the 45 minutes has passed. Cool on a wire rack and poke a small hole with a tooth pick in each one to let the steam out.

Cream
1 pint heavy whipping cream
Strawberry preserves (amount done by your taste)
1 teaspoon sugar

Whip cream in your stand mixer on high speed until soft peaks. Lower your speed and add your preserves until you are happy with flavor and texture.

Cut tops off of puffs and pipe in cream top with other puff half and dust with powdered sugar.

German Chocolate Cake

So this is my first ever layered cake!! And I must say I am very proud of myself. I first looked at the recipe and was like "Omg this is going to be hard". To my surprise it wasn't! I made it for a dessert night that I had with some friends we all brought a yummy dessert and pigged out in our pjs you must do it sometime!!


I think even just the cake part with out the German filling is a great chocolate cake base so light and fluffy!

German Chocolate Cake (Found at Country Living)


Cake
1/2 cups boiling water
4oz German's chocolate by Bakers chopped
2 cups flour
1/4 cup Cocoa
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup softened unsalted butter
4 eggs separated
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup buttermilk

Filling
1 cup sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Favorite Chocolate frosting ( I cheated and used a store bought one)


Directions
Preheat oven to 350° and grease and flour 3 cake pans and set aside. In heat proof bowl pour boiling water over chopped chocolate and stir until smooth. In a medium bowl combined the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In your stand mixer beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy about 2 minutes. Mix in the egg yolks one at a time until well incorporated. Put speed on low and mix in the melted chocolate and vanilla.  Add flour mixture by thirds  alternating with the buttermilk ending with the flour, Set to the side. In another bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks, fold 1/2 cup of egg whites gently into the chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites

Divide batter evenly between cake pans and bake for 30-35 min. Let cool in pan for 15 min then remove and cool on wire wrack until completely cool.

While cooling in the pans mix your sugar, evaporated milk, butter, egg yolks and vanilla in a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat constantly stirring for about 10 minutes until thickened. Stir in your coconut and pecans and transfer to a bowl. Stirring occasionally let cool to room temperature and then assemble your cake.

One layer of cake topped with 1/3 filling, cake, 1/3 filling / cake. Lightly cover whole cake in a layer of frosting and top with left over filling.

Almond Joy Milk Shake

Its Halloween time so I know you all have a bag of candy you already finished that was supposed to be for trick or treaters! Well if you like Almond Joys and already finished the bag can I suggest this quick milk shake? Its yummy and tastes just like the candy!!!

What you need for 2 milk shakes ( I never said you had to share fyi)

1/2 cup toasted coconut
1/4 cup toasted almonds ( I used slivered almonds and toasted them)
3 scoops chocolate ice cream
3 scoops vanilla ice cream
3/4-1 cup milk depending on how thick you want your milk shake


In a mini food processor ( a big one will be fine but mini is the perfect size for this) chop up your coconut and almonds until fine

 

In your blender poor in your milk, ice creams, and almond mixture blend until you are happy. Poor into a glass top with some coconut and almonds and enjoy.

Wow I was short and to the point on this one. Its called the baby went to bed and mommy needs something fast and yummy dessert!

Now if you think this looks yummy and want to continue your candy flavored milk shake dance why not check out my friend Veronica's Candy Corn Milk shake over at MorningNooNight!! Oh and I hear that if she reached 500 facebook likes soon she will have a holiday themed giveaway!!!!

Corn Flake French toast

So when your baby gets a cold, the cat scratches her face, then she bruises her face with a toy, and you have the same cold you forget that you had a blog planned. Pictures were taken food tasted great but your mind just forgets. Oh by the way all those things happened to my poor baby in a matter of like 3 days, my 9 month old looks like she got in a playground brawl. Its sad and makes me want to cry every time I look at her sweet face.

But anyways about the food!! My husband went to Seattle for a job interview before we moved to San Diego and ordered corn flake french toast and ever since when he hears or sees french toast he asked when I was going to make it for him at home so I finally did. Now I went all out for him and even made yummy bread just for this in the bread maker the night before, but whatever bread you would normally use for french toast in your house will work great too.

For the bread I used This Brioche recipe found at Food.com.

Ingredients for bread
1 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons bread flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons water
8 tablespoons butter cut into single tablespoons

Add all ingredients to your bread machine in the recommended order except the butter. Put the butter in 1 tablespoon at a time 10 minutes before the end of the first kneading session. For my machine the first session is only 10 minutes so I let it mix some then started adding the butter 1 tablespoon at a time letting it mix well between the additions. I put my machine on the the basic light setting.

When its finished open your machine but leave your loaf in and let cool for 20 minutes before removing.


Now for the yummy part!!!!

Corn flake french toast!

About 3 cups cornflakes curshed
1 tablespoon sugar
4 eggs (I do one egg per slice of bread)
Cinnamon
Bread slices


Mix your eggs and and cinnamon in one bowl and in another your conflakes and sugar.

Dip your bread slices in the egg and the press lightly in to the cornflakes on both sides.

Fry up on a griddle or in a hot pan and enjoy with some butter and warm syrup!!

Pumpkin snickerdoodle with caramel center

Fall weather seems to finally have hit the San Diego area! Its been wonderful to have cool weather and rain. Makes me want to crank up the crock pot and bake with pumpkin. So that's exactly what I did! Last fall I made some yummy pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies that I never got around to blogging (pregnancy brain all the way). So this year my friend sent  me a text and said you have to make the pumpkin snickerdoodles and put caramel in the center!! OMG one of her best ideas ever!!! Here are these uber yummy fall cookies!


The cookie recipe came from A Bitchen Kitchen (haha I love the name). 

For the cookies:
3 3/4 cups flour1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature1 cup sugar



1/2 cup dark brown sugar1 cup pumpkin puree1 large egg2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Caramel candies

For the coating
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (she uses ginger)

In a medium bowl combine your dry ingredients and whisk together. In your stand mixer cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add your pumkpkin  and mix well before adding your egg and vanilla. Slowly mix in your dry ingredients. Cover and store in your fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350°

Take about 2 1/2 tablespoons of your mix and form a ball around a caramel candy. Bake for 10-12 minutes. If you want to eat a cookie say the next day and want the center gooey again a quick 10 seconds in the microwave does the trick!