Brown Butter Zucchini Coffee Cake

by penji1
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Brown Butter Zucchini Coffee Cake

My daughter Courtney loves zucchini bread and coffee cake so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to give it a try for her.  We took it over to her last night and dug right in and I have to say that it was the perfect match of zucchini bread and coffee cake, smelled and tasted just as I had hoped it would, delicious!

cake

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, cut into pieces

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup sour cream or yogurt

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups shredded or ground zucchini

streusel topping

4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

glaze

1 – 2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1  Preheat oven to 350.  Grease bottom of 9 x 13″ pan.

2  For the cake, melt butter over medium low heat then continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until butter turns golden brown and has a nutty aroma.  Pour into small bowl and let cool.

3  Whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.

4  Whisk together browned butter, sour cream or yogurt, egg and vanilla in a small bowl.

5  Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir just until combined.  Squeeze excess moisture out of zucchini then stir into batter until combined and moistened.  Pour into pan.

6  For streusel, brown the butter as directed above then combine all streusel ingredients together and sprinkle over batter.

7  Bake 30 – 35 minutes until cake is light golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let cool on wire rack.

8  For the glaze, combine all ingredients in small bowl and whisk until smooth.  Drizzle over cake.

recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod

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Easy Coconut Cream Pie

by penji1
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Easy Coconut Cream Pie

I am not the world’s greatest pie make but then I guess I’m not the world’s worst either.  I volunteered to make a pie for a party and coconut cream seemed like the easiest option, this recipe in particular.  Bob said it was great (I don’t really like to eat pie either).

2 (3.4 oz each) boxes of vanilla instant pudding

2 cups cold milk

2 cups thawed Cool Whip, divided

1 cup coconut, divided

1 (6 oz) ready to use graham cracker crumb crust

1  Beat pudding mixes and milk together with a whisk for 2 minutes. Fold in 1 cup Cool Whip and 3/4 cup coconut then pour into pie crust.

2  Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.  Toast the remaining coconut.

3  Top pie with Cool Whip and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

recipe from Kraft Recipes

Missionary Name Tag Fondant Cake

by penji1
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Missionary Name Tag Fondant Cake

I made this cake for our friend Adam who leaves today to start serving his LDS mission in the San Fernando Valley in California after he does his time in the MTC (the Missionary Training Center).  It’s a 9 x 13″ brown sugar cake made from the White Almond Sour Cream Cake recipe, frosted with my favorite Basic Buttercream Icing and then covered in Wilton Black Fondant with the letters cut from Wilton White Fondant.  We will miss you Adam but the people of the San Fernando Valley are getting one awesome missionary sent their way!

Lemon Chiffon Cookie Cups

by penji1
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Lemon Chiffon Cookie Cups

It was my cute friend Cami’s Bridal Shower this morning so I made these sweet little cookie cups for the happy occasion.  They were really easy and really yummy!

cookies

1 pouch sugar cookie mix plus ingredients to make cookies

filling

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter (1/2 cup), softened

4 cups powdered sugar

Wilton Treatology System’s Sweet Meyer Lemon (10 drops) and Creamy Vanilla Custard (4 drops) Flavor Concentrates

yellow sanding sugar for decorating

1  For cookies, preheat oven to 350 or 325 for dark colored pans.  Spray wells of mini muffin pan with cooking spray for baking.

2  Prepare cookie mix as directed on package.  Scoop 1″ balls into each well and bake for about 10 minutes until just starting to brown around edges.  Immediately upon removing from oven, carefully press with mini tart shaper to make cookie cups.  Let sit in pan 15 minutes before removing carefully from pan to cooling rack to cool completely.

3  For filling, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy.  Slowly beat in powdered sugar until smooth then add flavoring and beat until combined.  Pipe or scoop filling into cookie cups and sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Yield: just under 4 dozen

recipe inspiration from Thirty Handmade Days

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Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

by penji1
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Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

I bought way too many strawberries for the waffle bar so looked around on Pinterest and found these.  I knew Bob would like them and I was right.

bars

1 cup old fashioned oats

3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon sugar

2 cups diced strawberries

glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon milk

1  Preheat oven to 375.  Spray 8 x 8″ or 9 x 9″ baking pan with cooking spray for baking.

2  Combine oats, flour, brown sugar and salt.  Pour in melted butter and stir until clumps form and all dry ingredients are moistened.  Reserve 1/2 cup of mixture then press the remaining evenly into bottom of pan.

3  Spread 1/2 the strawberries over the crust, sprinkle with cornstarch the lemon juice and then 1/2 the sugar.  Spread remaining strawberries over the top, sprinkle with remaining sugar then the reserved dry mixture.

4  Bake 35 – 40 minutes until fruit is bubbly and crumb topping is golden.  Let cool completely.

5  Whisk glaze ingredients together the drizzle over bars.

recipe from Well Plated

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Baked Pesto Chicken

by penji1
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Baked Pesto Chicken

This was delicious and so easy!  My son Zach sent me the recipe so I made it for Sunday dinner and it was perfect.  I made the pesto fresh from my garden, you can find that recipe here but of course you can use store bought pesto to make it even easier.

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or as many as you need)

22 ounces basil pesto

3 – 5 Roma tomatoes, sliced

8 oz fresh Mozzarella, sliced

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese for topping

Italian seasoning

1   Preheat oven to 400.  Spray 9 x 13″ pan with cooking spray.

2  Arrange chicken breasts in pan and spread pesto over each piece.

3  Place tomato slices over pesto, season with salt and pepper then place Mozzarella slices over the tomatoes.

4  Sprinkle with Parmesan and Italian seasoning.

5  Bake 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

recipe from Get in My Belly

Homemade Eclairs

by penji1
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Homemade Eclairs

Courtney and Jaren came over for dinner the other day.  Courtney requested eclairs for dessert and I realized that I have never made eclairs before!  They tasted delicious, exactly like eclairs should but they were kind of flat so I need to up my pastry piping game in order for them to look like eclairs and not eclair sandwiches.  I also learned that night that my son in law Jaren loves eclairs so I have a fun birthday cake planned for him later this year!

pastry

1/2 cup butter

1 cup water

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

filling

1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix plus milk called for on box

1/2 – 1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

chocolate glaze

2 ounces semisweet chocolate

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons hot water

1  Preheat oven to 450.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2  For the pastry, in a medium saucepan, combine butter and water.  Bring to a boil, stirring until butter melts.  Reduce heat to low, add flour and salt.  Stir vigorously until mixture leaves sides of pan and starts to form a ball.  Remove from heat and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well to incorporate after each addition.  With a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a #10 or larger tip, spoon or pipe dough onto baking sheet in 1″ x 4″ strips.

3  Bake 15 minutes then reduce heat to 325 for 20 more minutes, bake until hollow sounding when lightly tapped.  Pierce each pastry with toothpick or cake tester to release steam and allow to cool on cooling racks.

4    For the filling, make pudding according to package directions.  Beat cream, powdered sugar and vanilla with  mixer until soft peaks form.  Fold whipped cream into pudding.  Cut top off pastry shells and fill with pudding.

5  For the icing, melt chocolate and butter over low heat.  Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla.  Stir in hot water as needed until glaze is smooth and desired consistency.  Drizzle over filled eclairs.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: about 16 eclairs

recipe from All Recipes

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Blueberry Zucchini Muffins

by penji1
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Blueberry Zucchini Muffins

As we’ve already established, I have a plethora of zucchini this summer.  I also bought way too many blueberries for the waffle bar.  What’s a girl to do?  Well when that girl has a hubbie who loves zucchini muffins and also loves blueberries, it’s a no brainer!  PS  He loved these too!

3 eggs

1 cup oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups ground or grated zucchini

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups fresh blueberries

1  Preheat oven to 375 or 350 for dark pans.  Line muffin pans with paper liners.

2  Whisk together eggs, oil and sugar until well combined then add in vanilla and zucchini and whisk again.

3  In another bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Add blueberries to flour mixture and toss gently to coat berries.

4  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir gently until combined.  Scoop batter into liners and top each with 1 – 2 blueberries.

5  Bake about 25 minutes, until tops are golden brown.  Cool in pan a few minutes then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen

recipe from In Erika’s Kitchen

1st Birthday Tiny Pink “Naked” Smash Cake and “Naked” Pink Flower Cupcakes

by penji1
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1st Birthday Tiny “Naked” Smash Cake

My cute friend Caitlin got in touch with me to ask if I would make a naked smash cake for her little girl Indy’s first birthday and some naked cupcakes as well.  She wanted everything to be in pale pink, mint green and gold.  I was curious to see how  a naked cake would look with pink frosting, it turned out pretty cute.  The cake is tiny, top layer is 3″, middle is 4″ and bottom is 5″, hard to frost because they are so small but perfect for a baby smash cake.

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1st Birthday “Naked” Flower Cupcakes

I experimented with the cupcakes to try and get a “Naked” look to them but naked frosting like on the cake doesn’t look that good on a cupcake but then I tried a small rosette leaving the edges naked and I think that looks so adorable.  I just love these cupcakes.

The cake and cupcakes are vanilla made with the White Almond Sour Cream Cake recipe that has become my favorite cake recipe ever and the frosting is my favorite Buttercream Icing tinted with the new Wilton Color Right Performance Color System which I am really happy with so far, it really does help to get just the right color.  Caitlin provided the gold cupcake liners and the cake accessories.  Happy happy 1st Birthday to sweet baby Indy!

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Farewell Party Waffle Bar

by penji1
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Farewell Party Waffle Bar

We had a big Farewell Party here last week for our friend Adam who is off to serve a mission for our church in California in the San Fernando Valley.  Adam has been over for Waffle Love in the past so we decided to have a waffle bar this time.

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Waffle Love Waffles

Waffle Love recipe here

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Brownie Waffles and Cinnamon Roll Waffles

Brownie Waffles a la Mode recipe here

Cinnamon Roll Waffle recipe here

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Raspberries, Blueberries and Sliced Strawberries

 

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Various toppings including Nutella, Trader Joe’s Cookie Butters, Chocolate and Caramel Ice Cream Toppings and Cinnamon Roll Icing

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Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Homemade Whipped Cream

Homemade Whipped Cream recipe here

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Cinnamon Roll Waffles, Waffle Love Waffles and Brownie Waffles a la Mode

I even got brave and made some California themed centerpieces without Courtney around to help.  I think they turned out really cute.

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Mason Jar filled with Yellow Sixlets

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Mason Jar filled with Yellow Butter Mints

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Mason Jar filled with Lemon Drops

It was a great party and a great sendoff for Adam.  Good Luck Adam, you’re going to have and amazing experience!

 

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