Only 5 weeks late

Boy, have I been busy. Lets recap my Christmas break thus far:
I finished my final papers
We took a mini-vacation to Indy
We packed
We went to Fort Wayne for 3 days
We saw 4 families in 2 days
We came back
We packed
We moved
We unpacked
I started my new assistantship

Now that Ive had a moment to breathe, I finally decided that I would post those pumpkin sugar cookies that I was so excited about.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

3/4 C butter
1/2 C pumpkin
1 1/3 C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 tsp baking poweder
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pies spice

1.In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in pumpkin. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until incorporated.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir into batter.

3. Cover and chill overnight or at least 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 400* F

5. Roll out dough on floured (or you can use powdered sugar for a sweeter cookie) surface 1/4-1/2 in thick.

6. Bake 6-8 minutes

Cover with your favorite sugar cookie icing and enjoy!

Coming Soon!

Get excited, their coming! Pumpkin Sugar Cookies are on their way!

Tonight was a momentous occasion for me. I jumped, I giggled, I laughed, and I scolded my husband when he wouldn't take a good picture of me.

Tonight, I created my very first baking recipe. I have always been terrified of trying new things with baking. It seemed that steering off the yellow brick road of baking recipes would only lead to disaster. Boy, oh boy, was I wrong.

Next stop... cookbook!



Haha, just kidding. Well, maybe ;)

This post is just a teaser, full post with pictures, and the finished recipe coming soon!

Two for One

Today you get two recipes for the price of one!
Initially, I had thought of posting these two yummy creations in two separate posts. However, I decided in the honor of brevity and simplicity I would just combine them. I mean, c'mon, who doesn't like cake and pizza! (Well, i guess my husband doesn't like cake, but he likes this one!)

Lets start with the pizza. Although, you should be thinking about the cake. Oh, the cake. Ok. Pizza first.

This recipe came from Emi, one of my friends. We went over to their house for dinner one night and she had set up an area for us to make our own pizzas. I thought it was so clever that I had to steal the idea!

This weekend my mom and brother came down from fort wayne and it gave me a great excuse to make these pizzas. I prepped the dough, set out the toppings, and we made our own special little creations! It was actually really fun. Each pizza reflected each person. I'm the healthy eater so mine was loaded with veggies. My mother loves cheese, and made that clear with her pizza. Hubby loves his meat and he made sure he put a lot on. My brother loves simple cheese, mushroom, and pepperoni pizza.
I forgot to take pictures, but here are the end results!



Recipe for the Pizza Dough:
Whisk 3 3/4 C flour with 1 1/2 tsp salt.
Make a well and add 1 1/3 C warm water, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 packet yeast
When foamy mix in 3 T olive oil/

Do this all in your kitchen aid mixer with the dough hook attachment. Knead on low to med low for 3-5 minutes or until the dough looks smooth and has come together in a ball. Brush with olive oil and cover with a wet towel or napkin in a bowl. Let rise until doubled (about 1.5 hours)
Divide into 2 1 pound balls. Use 1lb per pizza. (If making personal pizzas I think you can get away with using 1/2 lb)

Top with desired toppings and bake at 500 on a preheated pan for 15-20 minutes.

Now, what you've been waiting for. Yep, it's time. Cake!

I fell in love with this cake in college. It was a shoemaker staple and all of us women looked forward to the days that we would get this delightful treat.

I do think I ought to warn you all. This cake is r-i-c-h rich! It probably has about 1000 calories per slice, but it is oh so good! So good in fact that it has a pretty funny name.

Better than Sex Cake, let me tell you, it may not be better than sex, but it's pretty close!

Here are some pictures. You've been warned.

Recipe:

1 box chocolate cake mix (I use devils food)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar caramel topping
1 C heath bar topping
1 container cool whip

Bake the cake according to package directions. While it is still warm poke a bunch of holes in it. I used a chop stick, a toothpick doesn't get them big enough for all of the goodness to soak in. Next, pour on the sweetened condensed milk.


Once that has some time to soak in, its time for the next step. Pour the caramel sauce all over the top. Stare in amazement.






Refrigerate until cool. Then before serving top with cool whip and heath bar pieces. Try not to eat it, wait... you need to share it, right?! Serve up cold and yummy!

the pursuit of yumminess

As I stated in an earlier blog, I have been on the quest to begin documenting my cooking and baking endeavors. Well, I have kept up with photographing some of my recent creations, but not so much on posting them. Well, here I am now, posting.


Get ready to get hungry. I usually make this into cupcakes but for the fourth of july, in the hunt for patriotism, I actually made it into cake form. This is Paula Deen's Simply Delicious Strawberry Cake, with a few of my own alterations.



This cake doesn't usually have blueberries on it, but let me tell you, they were yummy!

Here is the recipe:

Simply Delicious Strawberry Cake

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time:

15 min

Inactive Prep Time:

10 min

Cook Time:

20 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

8 servings

Ingredients

1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix
1 (3-ounce) box strawberry-flavored instant gelatin
1 (15-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed (I use a pint of fresh with some sugar)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
Strawberry cream cheese frosting, recipe follows

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed (I just used some leftover puree from my fresh strawberries approx 1/3 cup)
1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract (I didn't use this)
7 cups confectioners' sugar
Freshly sliced strawberries, for garnish, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add pureed strawberries, eggs, oil, and water; beat at medium
speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared pans, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a wooden
pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire
racks.

For the frosting:

Directions

In a large bowl, beat
butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in 1/4 cup of the strawberry
puree and the vanilla extract. (The rest of the puree is leftover but can be used in smoothies or on ice cream
for a delicious treat.) Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth.

Spread frosting in between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with sliced fresh strawberries, if
desired.

Courtesy: Foodnetwork.com

Cute Little Cake Pops

As I said in a post earlier, I will now be trying to chronicle some of my attempts at cooking and baking. I think that is what this blog is becoming: a chronicle of trying. I show my attempts at photography, my attempts at cooking, and my attempt at living a life of a godly woman and wife. Someday, it will include my attempt at parenting without going bananas...someday.

For now, you get cake pops!

I have been so excited to try and make these little buggers ever since I saw them on Bakerella. I made them for a cookout we were having and they seemed to be a pretty big hit. That is a big part of why I love to cook and bake, to see the joy in people when they try something and like it.

Mine aren't as fancy (or as well shaped) as hers, but pretty stinkin' cute none the less. Here are some pictures from the day!







Here is the recipe from Bakerella:
1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can frosting (16 oz.)
Wax paper
candy melts (1 lb. pkg.)
Lollipop sticks

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can frosting. (I use the back of a large spoon, but it may be easier to use fingers to mix together. But, be warned, it will get messy. Also, you may not need the entire can of frosting, so start out by using almost the entire can and add more if you need to.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50)
4. Melt chocolate in the microwave per directions on package. (30 sec intervals, stirring in between.)
5. Dip the tip of your lollipop stick in a little of the melted candy coating and insert into the cake balls. (Insert a little less than halfway.)
6. Place them in the freezer for a little while to firm up.
7. Once firm, carefully insert the cake ball into the candy coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered. Once covered remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Don’t tap too hard or the cake ball will fall off, too.
8. Place in a styrofoam block to dry.
9. Once dry, draw faces with an edible ink pen and allow ink to dry!

The Joy of Baking

As many of you may know, I love to cook and bake. I used to say that I hated baking because it was too precise, now I love it. Maybe it's my sweet tooth, but I cannot get enough of it sometimes. Now, add a pinch of photography and you have my new endeavor. I plan to begin documenting my baking and cooking through my photography.

I was inspired by bakerella.com. The recipe I made tonight can be found here: Bakerella

Now, some of my pictures are very similar to hers, so no points for originality today. However, I loved combining two of my passions!

Here is the recipe:
Congo Bars

2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 lb. light brown sugar (Oh my and thank you!)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
11.5 ounce package milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

By mixer:

Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Combine butter and sugar using a mixer until blended.
Add eggs, one at a time to sugar mixture, mixing on low in between each addition.
Add vanilla and mix.
Add flour and mix until combined.
Stir in chips and then pecans.

By hand:

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
Stir brown sugar into softened (not melted) butter in another large bowl until butter disappears. You can use the back of your spoon to help incorporate the two together.
Add eggs one at a time to butter mixture and stir well after each egg.
Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. Mix well.
Add dry flour mixture and stir until well combined.

Coat a 13 X 9 pan with non-stick spray and spread batter evenly into dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Make sure you don’t over bake.



mmm...chocolate chips








The end result... Sooo good!







I think I may go eat another! ;)