Hello Kitty Fondant Cake and Cupcakes

by penji1

Hello Kitty Cake

Hello Kitty Cupcakes

Andrea, a friend of Zach’s from work, asked if we could make her daughter, who is turning 4, a Hello Kitty birthday cake and cupcakes.  We’ve made a Hello Kitty cake before (with that cute HK pan from Michaels) but not cupcakes and I am so in love with those Hello Kitty cupcakes, I think they came out so adorable!  The HK cupcake liners are from Zurchers and the HK toppers are actually plastic rings that I found on EBay.  I dyed our favorite buttercream frosting pink and sprinkled Disco Dust on them to make them sparkle.  The cake and cupcakes are both white cake.  It was a fun Hello Kitty day here at our house!  Happy 4th Birthday to Ayva!

Marshmallow Reeses Blonde Brownies

by penji1

Marshmallow Reeses Blonde Brownies

Another set of bar cookie for the kids at church and our trip to the museum.  These come from a blog called “Inside BruCrew Life” and they are so good!

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup Reeses Pieces

1 cup marshmallow cream

1  Cream butter, sugar and peanut butter until creamy.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Sift together baking powder, salt and flour and slowly add to butter mixture until just mixed in.

2  Stir in chocolate chips and Reeses Pieces by hand.  Spread half the batter into a greased 13 x 9″ pan.  Drop marshmallow cream on top and then gently spread to cover batter.  Drop rest of batter on top of marshmallow cream and gently spread to cover.  Bake at 350 for 25 – 28 minutes.   Let cool before cutting into bars.

Can’t Leave Alone Bars

by penji1

Can't Leave Alone Bars

We took the Young Women and Young Men from church last night to the BYU Museum of Art exhibit entitled “Sacred Gifts”, if you live in the area or close to the area, I urge you to go, it was breathtaking!  I made some bar cookies for them to eat on the way to the museum and this was the first, a “Taste of Home” recipe from a cookbook called “Cake Mix Treats”.  They were really easy to make and so delicious with that fudgy filling!

1 box white cake mix (Winco has Duncan Hines cake mixes on sale for .98!  They are never on sale for that low!)

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1  Beat cake mix, eggs and oil on low until combined.  Press 2/3 of batter into greased 13 x 9″ pan.  Reserve remaining batter.

2  In a microwave safe bowl, combine milk, chocolate chips and butter.  Microwave, uncovered, until chips and butter are melted (about 1 minute) then stir until smooth.  Pour over crust.

3  Drop teaspoonfuls of remaining cake batter over top.  Bake at 350 for 20 – 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Let cool before cutting.

Glazed Cranberry Mini Cakes

by penji1

Glazed Cranberry Mini Cakes

Another recipe from “The Cupcake Bible” for another batch of fall flavored cupcakes.  Cute liners from “Pick Your Plum”.  Also really yummy for not being chocolate!

Cupcakes

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/3 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons milk

1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2/3 cups white chocolate chips

White Glaze

1 cup white chocolate chips

2 tablespoons oil

1  Heat oven to 350.  Line 36 mini muffin cups with paper liners.  (I wanted to make regular size cupcakes so I lined 12 standard size muffin cups with liners.)

2  Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until fluffy.  Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and gradually blend into butter mixture.  Add milk and beat until blended.  Stir in cranberries, walnuts and white chocolate chips.  (A note from me here – when I added the cranberries there was literally more cranberries than batter so I decided to mix up another batch of batter and add that to this to try and even it out which worked great but I did not double the amount of cranberries, walnuts and white chocolate chips, just the batter itself.)  Scoop batter into liners until almost full.

3  Bake 18 – 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

4  Prepare White Glaze:  Place white chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl and pour oil over chips.  Microwave at medium for 30 seconds and stir until melted.  Drizzle over cupcakes.  (I poured glaze into a sandwich baggie, snipped off the corner and piped it over the cupcakes.)

Glazed Applesauce Spice Cupcakes

by penji1

Glazed Applesauce Spice Cupcakes

I was on a cupcake kick on Tuesday, making lots of Fall flavored cupcakes for the neighbors.  This recipe comes from a cookbook called “The Cupcake Bible”.  I usually prefer chocolate but these were really yummy.  The cute little cupcake liners come from that website that I’m addicted to called “Pick Your Plum”.  They have daily deals so when you click on this link you won’t find these cupcake liners but you will find all kinds of other fabulous deals!

Cupcakes

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup milk

2/3 cup chopped walnuts, plus additional for garnish

2/3 cup butterscotch chips, plus additional for garnish

Apple Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2 – 3 tablespoons apple juice concentrate (I just used water)

1  Preheat oven to 350.  Line 24 standard muffin cups with paper liners.

2  Beat brown sugar and butter at medium until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until well blended.

3  Whisk flour, baking soda,  cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt together in separate bowl.  Add 1/3 flour mixture to butter mixture and beat until blended.  Add milk and mix well.  Alternately add remaining flour mixture and applesauce, beating well after each addition.  Stir in walnuts and butterscotch chips.  Scoop batter into liners.

4  Bake 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

5  Prepare Apple Glaze:  Combine sugar and concentrate to make stiff glaze.

6  Spoon glaze over cupcakes.  Let stand 5 minutes or until glaze is set then sprinkle with walnuts and butterscotch chips.

Sausage and Bean Soup with Pasta

by penji1

Sausage and Bean Soup with Pasta

I have been cooking and baking like crazy the past couple of days but just haven’t had a minute to blog so this morning I’m hoping to catch up.  Made this soup for dinner on Tuesday night.  It comes from a blog called “The Italian Dish” and it was a hit with the hungry boys at my house.

1 cup dried cannellini or cellini beans or 1 (15 oz) can of any beans you like, drained (I used Great Northern Beans)

1 pound ground sausage, turkey or pork (I used 1 of those Hillshire Farms sausages)

1/2 medium onion, diced (I used a whole onion)

1/2 medium carrot, diced (I used about 2 – 3 carrots and I also added 2 – 3 celery)

3 tablespoons olive oil (this was too much, next time I’ll use 1 – 2)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes

6 – 8 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

1 cup ditalini pasta or any small pasta (I used bowtie)

grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1  If using dried beans, place them in a pot, cover with cold water and let soak for several hours or overnight.  Drain.  Cover with fresh water and simmer gently, covered, til just soft, about an hour.  Drain again.

2  In a large pot, brown sausage.  Remove from pot.  Pour out excess fat.  Add onion, carrot and olive oil and saute for 5 minutes until soft.  Add garlic and saute about 1 minute more.  Add tomatoes, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper, beans and sausage and cover pot.  Cook 30 – 45 minutes over low heat at gentle simmer.

3  If using dried beans, check for doneness at this point.  If using canned beans, add pasta now.  If beans are not soft enough, cover and cook for another 15 – 30 minutes.  Add pasta and cook uncovered until pasta is tender.

4  Serve with grated cheese on top.

Creamy Skillet Pasta

by penji1

Creamy Skillet Pasta

Dinner last night brought to you by “Six Sisters’ Stuff” and it was delicious!

1 (16 oz) box bow tie pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely minced

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (26 oz) jar pasta sauce

1 cup half and half (I used evaporated milk to take down the calorie count a bit)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1  Cook pasta according to package directions.

2  Add olive oil to large skillet and heat to medium.  Add onion and saute until soft and see through.  Add garlic and tomatoes and saute for 1 – 2 minutes.  Add pasta sauce, half and half and Italian seasoning.  Simmer until heated through.  Add pasta and cheese.  Toss to coat pasta evenly.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip

by penji1

Reeses Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip

Another treat for the Personal Progress Party also starting with the letter P, PB cookie dough dip served with Pretzels and animal crackers.  YUM!  The recipe comes from a blog called “Shugary Sweets”.

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

8 oz cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

8 oz package Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Minis (or about 1 1/2 cups chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups)

1  In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  Whisk in sugar and heat until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add vanilla then allow to cool to room temperature (very important).

2  In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with powdered sugar and peanut butter until creamy, about 3 – 4 minutes (don’t skimp on beating time).  On low, add in cooled brown sugar mixture.  Mix until combined.  Fold in mini chips and mini Reese’s.

Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

by penji1

Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Last night the Young Women from church came over to my house and we had a Personal Progress activity (Personal Progress is a goal setting program for the girls).  My friend Pam and I work together in YW so we called it “Pam and PJ’s Personal Progress Party” and it was all about the letter P, just like on Sesame Street.  We wore clothes that started with P and did Personal Progress activities and ate foods that started with P, hence the Poppy Seed muffins in Pink liners with Polka dot straws!  This recipe comes from the “Lil’ Luna” blog and they were pretty good.

muffins

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 eggs

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

glaze

1 tablespoon melted butter

2 – 3 tablespoons milk

1 cup powdered sugar

1  Preheat oven to 350.

2  Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda and whisk together.

3  In another bowl, whisk together sour cream, buttermilk and lemon juice.

4  In your mixer bowl, beat sugar, 1/2 cup butter and lemon zest.  Add eggs and beat until fluffy.  Add dry ingredients and mix then add sour cream mixture and mix until well combined.

5  Stir in poppy seeds.

6  Scoop batter into cupcake liners in muffin pan.  Bake 20 minutes (mine took almost 30) and let cool.

7  For glaze, mix together melted butter, milk and powdered sugar.  Drizzle over muffins.

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef

by penji1

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef

The caterer served us shredded beef at work during the week and I was thinking about how good it was and how the hungry boys at my house would love it so I decided to give it a try.  This recipe comes from a blog called “Add a Pinch” and was so easy and came out so tasty, tender with just a bit of a zip to it.  We ate it tonight on Torta rolls from Costco but I’m thinking tomorrow night I will make some Lime Rice and some Black Beans and make tacos out of it, so many things you could do with it.

1 (3 – 4 pound) boneless roast beef (chuck or round roast)

1 cup beef broth

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasoning

1  Place roast in slow cooker.  Add beef broth.  Pour Worcestershire over top of roast and then sprinkle with seasoning.

2  Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 – 8 hours.

3  When finished, remove roast from slow cooker.  Break apart with forks (or with your mixer which works great) then add back to juices in slow cooker and set on warm for 1 more hour.  (I strained the juices in the cooker before adding the shredded beef back in.)