Candy Dipped Jumbo Marshmallows

I know...who in their right mind would dip giant marshmallows?  

We do...we did...and we are tellin' y'all they are good.  Mighty good.  In fact, I made nearly 30 of them for the MOMS (Ministry of Moms) spring bake sale, and we sold out before the 11:00 AM Mass today. 

Ahem...did I tell you how easy these things are to make? 

No?  

Well...here you go then.  Make these for your favorite Valentine, for bake sales, baby showers, birthday parties...the possibilities are endless.  And the kids can help you.  Just watch out for stray fingers and tongues...no eating leftover sprinkles or licking the spoon until you're all done!

Candy Dipped Jumbo Marshmallows

1 package jumbo marshmallows (Walmart sells them)

2-3 bags of Wilton Candy Melts (almond bark works well too)

Assorted sprinkles for decorating

Pure vegetable shortening (1-2 tablespoons per bag of candy melts)

Lollipop/cookie pop sticks (the bigger, taller ones work best)  

In a small deep bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, melt the candy coating or almond bark along with 1-2 tablespoons of shortening.  I usually use just 1 tablespoon).  You can use a microwave, but I've found the double boiler method is just as simple.  Plus...it keeps the candy melts at the optimal temperature for dipping, and you don't have to keep running back and forth to the microwave.  Just make sure the bowl is not touching the water.  I keep the heat turned down as low as it will go on my gas range, and it works great.  

Insert a stick into each marshmallow.  I like to push it in pretty far...more than halfway, until I can feel it nearly to the top.  

Dip each marshmallow halfway into the melted candy.  Tap the stick gently with your free hand so any excess coating drips off. 

Immediately sprinkle with sugar crystals, nonpareils, etc.  I will say jumbo sprinkles don't work very well...they tend to fall off.  I stuck to smaller decorations.  

Stick upright in a block of styrofoam or in my case, the lid to a cardboard file box until completely dry.  As you can see, I used pink, red, vanilla (white), and chocolate candy coating and a variety of sprinkles.  I wanted to make several different designs for our bake sale.  If I make these again at home, I probably stick to one color of candy coating and one type of sprinkles, just to make the process go even faster. 

Aren't the so cute and pretty?  Too pretty to eat!  No...not really...not in our house anyway, LOL!  

Wrap them up in clear treat bags tied with a pretty ribbon.  Not that they'll last that long... ;-)  

I really wish I'd remembered to take a pictures of them at our wrapping party, but alas I did not.  We tied them with pink and red ribbon and put them in a large glass vase with pink and red gumdrops in the bottom.  It was SO PRETTY!  

But here's a couple of pics of them unwrapped to make up for it.  My apologies!

 

These are much easier to make than cake pops...and far less temperamental too.  My kids are already asking if I can make another batch for them...instead of selling them at the bake sale.  I think I will, but shhh...don't tell! 

I had a good amount of candy coating left over, so I dropped spoonfuls of all the different colors (red, pink, white and chocolate) on a cookie sheet lined with foil.  I just did it in a random pattern.  Then I took a toothpick and swirled all the colors together, and spinkled M&M's, almonds, and sweetend coconut flakes over the top.  Simple, sweet, and EASY.  I broke it up in big pieces and we bagged it for the bake sale too.  Best of all...no wasted candy coating.  :-)

Make some of these for your next celebration...I promise they will disappear in two winks!

God bless your table tonight!  

*Note:  I made a few more marshmallows for the kids for Valentine's Day.  I put them in a tall candy dish (or try a short, wide vase) and it worked very well once the candy coating was completely set.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and they'll keep for a few days...but trust me...they're be snapped up quick!  

Rasberry Crumb Bars

Aren't you proud of yourself when you put something together really quick, using nothing but the ingredients you have on hand?  Last week, I threw together coriander rubbed pork roast, wild and brown rice medley, and braised cabbage with caraway seeds.  Yes..I was proud of myself!  

I found myself in that situation again yesterday, when at the last minute, I volunteered to host Bible Study at my house.  My darling husband pitched in and vacuumed the entire downstairs (even the staircase--thanks honey!) I ran around the house with a dust cloth, and glass cleaner, while one of the girls cleaned the powder room.  It's so great to have help when you need it. ;-)

During the cleaning frenzy, I set my butter out to soften, and by the time we were done, it was ready to go.  I'd done a quick search on the internet for crumb bars, and decided to go with the fresh raspberries I had in the fridge.  I wasn't sure the only other fruit I had--frozen cranberries would be sweet enough.   I also substituted brown sugar for some of the white sugar for a bit of chewiness, and some rolled oats for texture.  Feel free to use blackberries, blueberries, or a mix of berries instead of raspberries.  This is a great way to give a final nod to summer's bounty and welcome the first hint of cooler weather. :-)

Raspberry Crumb Bars 

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats (not the instant oats)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 large egg

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature

4 cups fresh raspberries rinsed lightly and gently patted dry

1/2 cup white sugar

3 teaspoons cornstarch 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan and set it aside. 

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Add the butter and using a pastry cutter, cut it in until you have a crumbly dough.  Gently stir in the egg. Take half of the dough and pat into a thin layer on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  Set aside. 

In another medium bowl, gently toss the raspberries with the 1/2 cup white sugar and cornstarch.  Pour the raspberries into the pan, and evenly distribute any remaining sugar/cornstarch mixture.  Take the other half of the dough and crumble it over the top of the berries.  

Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly.  Let cool to room temperature before cutting into squares.  Serve alone, or with ice cream (black raspberry ice cream anyone? ;-)

I will be perfectly honest and say that only 1 person was able to come to Bible Study.  Oh well, more raspberry bars for the rest of us.  I know somebody snuck another helping when I wasn't looking (my money's on Rebecca), and both girls begged for a bar in their lunchboxes for today.  Of course, I let them...these things are so good, I'd better get 'em out of the house!

I hope you are lovin' the "cool" front we got over the weekend.  Sure, it's still warm (around 90 degrees today), but the humidity is only at 32%--REALLY nice for our part of Texas this time of year).  Break out the bowls, turn on the oven, and bake these up--you can have them ready in no time!  

God bless your table tonight!

Dump Cake--Three Ways! (minus a few pics)

Yikes.  I looked at the date of my last post.  Time flies when you're busy!  Ah well.  Today is the last day of school for my kiddos. I'm making brownies tonight as a special surprise, and I have not one, but THREE recipes for you today.  

I can't believe I haven't posted about this cake yet.  I first tasted this at a CCL potluck dinner years ago.  It was easy and a cinch to make.  I realized you could change up the ingredients and make it according to your tastes, or the season.  

I want to go ahead and say I don't have pictures of the apple dump cake.  I though if I showed ya'll  how to make the other two, you would figure it out. ;-)  And...I didn't have the ingredients on had either.  That's my confession for the day!

I think the Cherry Chocolate Dump Cake is great for the winter.  The Caramel Apple Dump Cake just says, "fall!"  And the Lemon Blueberry Dump Cake is perfect for a spring/summer picnic or barbeque.  Any one of these cakes can be made at the last minute, and is ready to serve in 45 minutes.  Can't beat that when you're a crazy, busy mom, right? 

Cherry Chocolate Dump Cake

2 cans cherry pie filling (and don't use the "reduced sugar" or "light" stuff, bleh!)

1 box chocolate or devil's food cake mix

Chocolate syrup, about 1/3 cup

1 stick of butter, melted (none of that margarine stuff either!)

1 package (2 ounces) sliced pecans/almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  

Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.  Pour in the cherry pie filling, and spread it evenly.  Drizzle over the chocolate syrup.  Not too much, you want to see the cherries.  Next, sprinkle over the cake mix...it will be a thick layer.  Spread it out evenly.  Now pour the butter over the cake mix...and don't skimp.  Paula Deen would probably use 2 sticks of butter!

Sprinkle the pecans/almonds over the top (I was out of pecans, so I used almonds).  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until you see the cake bubbling just a little around the edges.  Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. 

Lemon Blueberry Dump Cake

2 cans blueberry pie filling, or 4 cups fresh blueberries, washed and patted dry

1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 box lemon cake mix

1 stick of butter, melted

1 package (2 ounces) sliced almonds (or nuts of your choice)

Lightly grease a 9x13 pan baking dish.  Pour in the blueberry pie filling or fresh blueberries (fresh berries are in season right now, the pie filling is great for winter time).  Drizzle over the sweetened condensed milk (some recipes I've seen call for a can of crushed pineapple).  Spread over the lemon cake mix, and pour the butter evenly over the top.  Finish with the sliced almonds.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until you see the cake bubbling gently around the edges.  Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.  

Caramel Apple Dump Cake

2 cans apple pie filling

1/4 cup caramel syrup/sauce

1 box spice cake mix (yellow or white cake mix is fine too!)

1 stick of butter, melted

1 package (2 ounces) chopped pecans  

Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.  Dump in the apple pie filling and spread evenly.  Pour on the caramel syrup/sauce.  It's really sweet, so go very sparingly with this one.  Spread the cake mix evenly over the top.  Drizzle with the melted butter, and finish with the pecans.  See why this is called a dump cake?  You literally dump everything into the pan, and the oven does the rest. :-)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until you see little bubbles around the edges of the cake.  Let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.  

And now of course...pictures to prove how simple this is!

And of course, silly me forgot to take a picture of them once they came out of the oven.  Sorry!

I gave both cakes to David to take to work, with strict orders not to bring them home, since I was already making brownies that night for the kids.  He said the desserts went over very well with the office staff, especially the Lemon Blueberry Dump Cake.  Score!

My kids are out of school now, and are happily tearing the house apart.  Okay...not really, but it sure looks like it!  Happy summer y'all!

God bless your table tonight!

Red Velvet Cream Cheese Brownies

David's office had a bake-off last Friday.  I had about one million things to do on my list...and I honestly wasn't going to enter at first.  But then, I heard the prize was a $50 gift card.  Well, I don't know any woman who doesn't like gift cards.  So...I changed my mind (I can, because again, I'm a girl, right? ;-), and hey, I'm a pretty competitive person when it comes to cooking/baking. 

The day before the bake-off, David's boss threw in an extra prize...2 field level tickets to the Texans playoff game on Sunday.  YEE HAW.  I am not a big Texans fan, but I really wanted to win.  David has been working non-stop...literally burning the midnight oil at the office these days.  So I wanted the tickets for him...I knew he would love a break!

I made the brownies, cut them out with a 2-inch biscuit cutter, and put them in pretty black and white cupcake liners.  Then I sent them to work with David Friday morning and held my breath.

The judging was going to be at 3:00 PM, and David called me around 4:00 to tell me the results.  I could tell right away by his voice that I didn't win.  Darn. 

But then, I heard him say, "Well, we won the tickets anyway." 

WHAT????

David explained that the person who won couldn't go to the game.  My brownies were in a 3-way tie for second place.  So they had a raffle amongst the three, 2nd place winners.  And lo and behold, David won the tickets. 

WOO HOO!!!

I stil think I should have won.  The winner brought peach cobbler.  Seriously?!  Must have been some dang good cobbler.  My hubby was really sweet, and told me of course, he voted for me, lol.  And in case you were wondering, the Texans lost yesterday...bummer.  There go the playoffs. :-(

(And I'm sorry, I was nervous, and in a hurry, and completely forgot to take pictures until the end).

So, I know you want to make these brownies.  They were surprisingly easy, even though they look very fancy.  I didn't even use a stand mixer or egg beater, just a wooden spoon, a bowl, and a toothpick.  Put them on a pretty plate, and watch them disappear. :-)

Red Velvet Cream Cheese Brownies

Red velvet layer:

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon red food coloring

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 large eggs

3/4 cup all purpose flour

Cream cheese layer:

8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly spray/grease an 8x8 baking dish.  Set aside

In a medium bowl, combine the butter and sugar.  Once it's well incorporated, add the vanilla, cocoa powder, salt, red food coloring, and vinegar.  Stir again.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addtion.  Gently fold in the flour until just combined...do not overmix.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the batter.  Pour the remaining red batter into the prepared baking dish.

In another bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla.

If you're short on time, soften your cream cheese in the microwave on the "defrost" setting or the lowest power setting possible in 10 second intervals.

Carefully spread the cream cheese mixture over the red velvet layer.  Dollop the remaing brownie batter over the top, and swirl with a toothpick. 

Here's the secret to swirls.  Gently glide the toothpick back and forth over the batter, 6-8 passes across the pan.  Rotate the pan 90 degrees, then make another 6-8 passes.  Yes...it's that easy. ;-)

Bake the brownies for 30 minutes.  Cool completely before cutting. 

Here are the pictures I remembered to take!

 I spooned the extra red velvet batter in 4 even rows, so I could cut out the brownies with a 2-inch biscuit cutter, making the most of the swirled pattern.  And of course, I sample the scraps...we all did! :-)

I found these cupcake liners at Walmart...I really did, and they were only $1.50 for 50.  Aren't they pretty?

Or you can just put them out all by themselves. 

If you're looking for a last minute gift idea for a hostess, a friend, the neighbors, or heck...yourself, these brownies would be just the thing.  Quick, easy, pretty, and delicious!

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas, filled with family, food, and fun.  I'll see y'all after the new year!  God bless your table tonight!

Banana Scones with Chocolate Chips

I got on a scone kick a couple of weeks ago.  I stumbled across this recipe for strawberry scones, and they were so good, I decided to try them again with bananas and chocolate chips.  Well, let me tell you, they were yummy!  Next time, I want to try shredded apples and cinammon chips...doesn't that sound good too?  The possibilities are endless! 

However you decide to make your scones, the basic recipe I found is now my "go-to" favorite.  I honestly don't think I will ever stray away from it.  Scones are best eaten the day they are made, but they will keep for 2-3 days on the counter.  Take my advise...make a batch, eat some, and freeze the rest.  Reheat in the oven, toaster oven, or microwave, and they will taste freshly-baked. 

Banana Scones with Chocolate Chips

3 tablespoons sugar (granulated)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
2/3 cup half-and-half or cream or cold buttermilk
1 medium, lightly speckled banana, not too soft, not too firm
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Additional sugar to toss fruit and sprinkle on top

Dice the banana and toss with 1/2 tablespoon of sugar.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Use a pastry cutter or your hands to work in the butter until it is evenly distributed into the flour mixture, with a few small, pea sized bits of butter visible. 

Make a well in the middle of the mixture, and add the buttermilk all at once.  Gently stir dough together (the hands are the best tool for this job!), until everything is moist.  Add in the bananas and chocolate chips, and again, very gently knead the dough just until it comes together.

Dump the dough out onto a floured work surface.  Use just enough flour to keep the mixture from sticking but try not to overdo it...too much flour makes tough scones. 

I learned that lesson when I accidently sprinkled one batch too liberally with flour...they baked up beautifully, but the scones were slightly tough and chewy, instead of soft and flaky. 

Pat dough out carefully into a circle, about 3/4" thick.  You can sprinkle the top with a bit more flour if it's too sticky. 

Cut into 8 wedges...you can make 2 discs of dough, and cut them to make mini-scones if you'd like. 

Carefully transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet, keeping them about 1/2" apart.  If any chocolate chips or banana bits are peeking out, gently push them back in so they don't fall out during baking.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.  Pull the sheet out, and sprinkle each scone with a bit of sugar...it makes a nice, crunchy topping. 

Continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the scones spring back when touches, and are lightly brown on top.   Watch them carefully...they will overbake easily, and dry scones are not good! 

When they're done, wait a couple of minutes before moving to a rack to cool completely.  Serve the same day, or freeze and reheat as needed. 

Of course, my Rebecca LOVED these scones, as did Gabriel and my hubby.  Oh, and I did too. ;-)

And in case you're wondering...here's a pic of the strawberry scones I made first.  I'm tellin' ya...they were good.  So good, they disappeared in less than 2 days.  I'm not going to tell you how many I had.  Nope...not gonna tell! :-)

Scones take no time to make, and it's fun to try different fruits. Blueberries, diced peaches, raisins, are some other ingredients I'd like to try. And you don't have to stick to sweet scones. How about some savory combinations, like ham and cheese, rosemary and garlic, or blue cheese and walnuts? If you try something different, let me know...I'd love to hear from you. I knowI'll be on a scone kick again soon!

God Bless your table tonight! 

Picnic Cake

First of all, I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe...it's the easiest cake to make, and perfect to take to a picnic, have on hand for company, or make for the family.  My MIL shared this recipe with me early in our marriage, and I've made it many times since.  Apparently, this cake is very popular back in her home state of Wisconsin. 

I think "Picnic Cake" is a rather funny name for this particular dessert.  It contains flour, sugar, shortening, and dates, but no oil, eggs or butter.  I served it last night to Theresa's godfather, and he admittedly was skeptical when I told him what was in it.  But after one bite, he polished off his piece, and told me it was delicious.

So...don't write this one off yet folks.  Bake one up for your family or friends, and see what they think!

Picnic Cake

1 cup chopped, dried dates *

1 1/2 cups hot water

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

3/4 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE TOPPING:

1/2 cup sugar

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup chopped pecans

* Make sure you buy chopped dates.  If you buy whole dates, it's a rather sticky mess to try and chop them up yourself...take it from someone who's done it before and regretted it!

Grease and flour the bottom only of a 9x13 baking dish.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

We're going to rehydrate the dates first.  Combine the dates, water, and baking soda.  Set aside.

I know...it looks weird.  But just you wait...it's going to be tasty y'all, trust me!

Use a stand mixer or hand-held mixer to cream the sugar, shortening, and salt together.  Scrap down the bowl once or twice to make sure everything is well incorporated. 

Add the water/date mixture to the bowl, along with the flour and vanilla.  You'll want to do this on low speed at first, otherwise the water will splash everywhere. 

Mix everything together for just a couple of minutes.  The batter will be a pale brown, with visible bits of dates. 

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. 

Combine the topping ingredients--the sugar, chocolate chips, and nuts in a small bowl. 

Sprinkle it all over the top...sometimes I do the sugar, chips, and nuts seperately to distribute it more evenly.  Do whatever melts your butter. ;-)

Doesn't that look good? 

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  Let cool before serving at room temperature (I think it cuts better when it's mostly cool).

Mmm...come to Mama!

Now, not all of my kids will eat this, but my husband LOVES it.  I've seen him and his 2 brothers sit around the kitchen table and fight over this cake!  I personally love the cake unadorned, but a little whipped cream is lovely too. 

So there you go...another one of our very favorite desserts here.  I've never had anybody say they didn't like this cake.  And I'd like to think it's not that bad for you, unless you're my hubby and have 3 pieces at one sitting. ;-)

Enjoy, and God bless your table tonight!