Happy Valentine's Day

Hi there - thanks for all the good thoughts about the Husband's car.  Fortunately, the car did start.  Unfortunately, the mechanic does not know why it started, or what was wrong with the car to cause it to completely die for two full days.  So instead of guessing and spending lots of money trying to get an answer, the Husband drove it to a dealership and traded it in for a new car.  Not what we wanted right now, but we are just going with the flow!

Anyway, I hope you are having a happy Valentine's day!  I am home with the Toddler today.  She has a stomach bug.  Boo.  The poor thing is finally feeling better, but she missed her Valentine's Party at daycare today.  They were going to have all sorts of treats and probably listen to some music and dance.  Oh well, when she feels up to it, she can have one of the brownies I made (you should make them too, they are really good!).

Knock You Naked Brownies!
Recipe from The Pioneer Woman
Ingredients:

• 1 box (18.5 Ounce) German Chocolate Cake Mix
• 1 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
• 1/3 cup Evaporated Milk
• 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk (additional)
• 1/2 cup Butter, Melted
• 60 whole Caramels, Unwrapped
• 1/3 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, chopped pecans, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and melted butter. Stir together until totally combined. Mixture will be very thick.
• Press half the mixture into a well-greased 9 x 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside.
• In a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water) melt caramels with additional 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When melted and combined, pour over brownie base. Sprinkle chocolate chips as evenly as you can over the caramel.
• Turn out remaining brownie dough on work surface. Use your hands to press it into a large square a little smaller than the pan. Use a spatula to remove it from the surface, then set it on top of the caramel and chocolate chips.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for several hours. When ready to serve, generously sift powdered sugar over the surface of the brownies. Cut into either nine or twelve helpings, and carefully remove from the pan.

Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods

I have my cookie exchange tonight!  And I am so excited to sample all the cookies - especially mine.  Though, mine are technically not cookies.  See, I was inspired by Bouffe e Bambini to make chocolate covered pretzels!  So last night I spent at least an hour and a half dipping pretzel rods in chocolate and then covering them with sprinkles, toffee bits and walnuts.  Since I fell short of the requested 6 dozen, I was not even able to sample one of them to make sure they tasted okay!

Don't they look great!  Can you believe my will power?  I can't. 

The directions to making these bad boys couldn't be easier.  Simply slather a little peanut butter on the top half of the pretzel rod and dip it into melted chocolate.  I used dark chocolate for 3 doz and milk chocolate for the remaining.  Let the excess chocolate drip off and place the pretzel on some wax paper.  Decorate your chocolate with some toppings and place them in the fridge for a few minutes to set.  The DEVOUR!!!

P.S. I'm linking up to Centsational Girl's linky party.

Tuesday Edition: Kitchen Tip



"tupperware" uploaded to Flickr by tWo pInK pOsSuMs



I don't know about you, but I am really looking forward to my January exercise program and "diet"!  I had been doing so well up until last Saturday, when we had our holiday block party and I made that delicious bread pudding.  It was all downhill after that - cookies at church, cake and brownies at work . . . and it's only Tuesday!!  There are still many more days before Christmas and there are going to be parties, and get-togethers and dinners.  I will be lucky if I can fit into any of my pants on Sunday morning.

Tomorrow I will be going to a cookie exchange.  It's going to be a big one - about 20 people are coming - so I am going to get a lot of loot.  Which is great in theory, because I love Christmas cookies.  But it is also worrisome since (1) I want my pants to fit; and (2) where am I going to put all these cookies?

Well some of them I will bring to work.  Others I will just leave on the counter on a platter covered with plastic wrap.  And then, a portion of them will be stored.  I use the following method to store my cookies: in a plastic container or cookie tin, line the bottom with wax or parchment paper, add a layer of cookies, and then repeat the paper and the cookie layers until you reach the top.  Finish the layering by adding a piece of foil before putting the top on the container. 

You can also freeze your non-frosted cookies using this method.  With either method, just make sure your cookies are completely cool before storing them.

How do you store your cookies?

Panettone Bread Pudding with Cinammon Syrup

When I made this dessert about 4 years ago I didn't like bread pudding and I had no idea what panettone was.  Given those facts, it is kind of amazing that I even decided to make this dish.  But I am so glad that I did. 

This dessert is so simple to put together and it is a hit at parties.  The first year I made it, I think I made it about 6 times!  Brought it into work, brought it to my mom's for Christmas, gave one as a gift . . . .
This year I made it for our holiday block party.  Again- rave reviews.

So if you are looking for something to bring as a dessert, or even something for a brunch - this is it.  And if you don't know what panettone is (I didn't) - it is an Italian fruit cake that is typically sold at grocery stores this time of year.  Usually in a big, square, colorful box.  Sometimes in the produce section, or the seasonal section.  Or, if you shop in my grocery store - in the meat section (wha??). 

Panettone Bread Pudding
from Giada De Laurentiis
Ingredients:

Cinnamon Syrup:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Bread Pudding:

• Butter
• 1 (1-pound) loaf panettone bread, crusts trimmed, bread cut into 1-inch cubes
• 8 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 1/4 cups sugar

Instructions:

To make the syrup:

Directions

Combine 1 cup of water and brown sugar in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil until the syrup reduces to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream and cinnamon. Keep the syrup warm. (The syrup can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Re-warm before serving.)

To make the bread pudding:

Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Arrange the bread cubes in prepared dish.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, milk, and sugar to blend. Pour the custard over the bread cubes, and press the bread cubes gently to submerge. Let stand for 30 minutes, occasionally pressing the bread cubes into the custard mixture. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake until the pudding puffs and is set in the center, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly.

Spoon the bread pudding into bowls, drizzle with the warm Cinnamon Syrup, and serve.

A few notes:  I can only find 2 lb breads.  That is okay!  Use about 2/3rds of one bread to make the pudding, and save the remainder for french toast, or even just regular toast.  So yummy!  Also, I don't go crazy cutting off the "crust".  I just cut off the bottom "crust" and anywhere else that looks a little over-done!

P.S. Don't forget to check out Love Deliveries on Etsy and get 15% off when you enter the code ACTFASTCHEF during the month of December!

I'm linking to Centsational Girl's Cookie linky party and

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

Hi there!  Sorry for the absence.  I've had a bunch of stuff going on in real life that has prevented me from visiting blogland.  First there was the Toddler's urinary tract infection and then we had Winter Storm Alfred.  Since when did they start naming snowstorms?  Anyway, Alfred took out our power for 5 days.  And not just our power - 800,000 people in our state were out of power for days. 

To say it was horrible would be dramatic, but that is how it felt to have no lights, no heat and no hot water.  Thankfully my workplace (and the Husband's)  had power and so did the Toddler's daycare.  So at least we were safe, dry and warm during the day.  However, I spent most of my days trying to figure out where we would eat, sleep and shower since all of our friends and family were also without power and the hotels were all booked!  Needless to say - we are looking into getting a whole house generator so that never happens again.

But before I lost power on the Saturday before Halloween, I made these wonderful Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes.  I know I usually post about dinners, or lunches, but I felt that posting a dessert would be a good "welcome back" present to myself.

Pumpkin Spiced Cupcakes
adapted from McCormick
Ingredients:
1 pkg (18.25 oz) yellow cake mix
1 pkg (4 serving) vanilla instant pudding
1 C canned pumpkin
1/4 C oil
1/4 C water
3 eggs
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions:
Beat all ingredients with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened.  Beat on medium speed for 2 mins.  Spoon batter into 24 lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.  Bake in preheated 350 F oven for 20 minutes.  Frost cooled cupcakes with Spiced Cream Cheese frosting.
Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting - 1 store bought container of cream cheese frosting with 1/4 tsp ground cloves stirred in.
Optional - topped with crushed walnuts

Another Super Easy Dessert!

Last weekend I baked twice.  First the dump cake, and then a really easy apple pie.  Okay, maybe the dump cake isn't really baking.  But the apple pie is!

Part of the reason why the pie was/is so easy is because the recipe called for, and I used, refrigerated pie crusts.  I know some people would never think of using pre-made crusts.  But for me, a non-baker, they are a lifesaver and a time saver!  And quite frankly, they are much better than anything that I could ever make.  The last time I made a crust from scratch I sliced my finger pretty badly in the food processor.  But I persevered and finished making the thing, bloodied finger and all (yum!).  The only reason I didn't run to the store to buy a crust is because my sis-in-law was so excited about the homemade crust.

Okay, so tell me, do you use pre-made crust??  I won't tell anyone, I promise.

Easy Skillet Apple Pie
from Southern Living Magazine

Ingredients:
2 lb Granny Smith apples
2 lb Braeburn apples
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 C granulated sugar
1/2 C butter
1 C firmly packed light brown sugar
1 (14.1 oz) pkg refrig. pie crusts
1 egg white
2 T granulated sugar

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.  Peel and slice apples (it was also easy for me since I have that cool tool that cores, peels and slices).  Toss apples with cinnamon and 3/4 C sugar.

cool tool that peels, slices and cores!

Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat.  Add brown sugar, and cool, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and place 1 pie crust in skillet over the brown sugar mixture.
Spoon apple mixture over pie crust and top with remaining pie crust.  Whisk egg white until foamy and brush on top of the pie crust.  Sprinkle pie crust with 2 T sugar.  Cut 4-5 slits in top crust.

Bake at 350 F for 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 mins or until golden brown and bubbly.  You can shield the crust with foil during the last 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.  Cool 30 mins before serving.  Southern Living suggests serving with butter pecan ice cream!



P.S. I joined the blog hop at Delightful Order and the blog hop at Happy Hour Projects!

Friday Edition: Yummy Finds

I hope you have a fun weekend planned!  I will be going to visit family in New York and going to a bridal shower on Sunday.  There are usually some yummy desserts at showers, so I am hoping that I will be able to indulge this weekend.

To get my sweet tooth ready, I am dedicating this edition of Yummy Finds to desserts!  Excuse my drool...

Chocolate Caramel Bars

Source: Family Circle Magazine

Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake

Source: Barefootcontessa.com

Strawberry Cream Cake

source: Martha Stewart