New Jersey Crumb Cake

This is originally Martha Stewarts recipe that I found on Comfy Cuisine

2 Tbsp. canola oil

4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup light-brown sugar

1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled

Confectioner's sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray 8 x 8 baking pan with nonstick spray.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, sift together 1-1/2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.  In a second bowl, whisk together egg, milk, canola oil and vanilla.  Fold dry ingredients into egg mixture.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.  In a medium bowl, combining remaining 2-1/2 cups flour, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Pour melted butter over flour mixture and toss together until large crumbs form.  Sprinkle crumbs over batter.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Dust liberally with confectioner's sugar.  Cut into squares.

Hostess Cupcakes Copycat Recipe

Recipe from: Something Swanky

Katie hosted the BEST Super Bowl Party.  Most the girls hit it off like we have known each other for years.  We laughed, cried, peed our pants a little and much much more.  I would love to tell you more but what happens in Fight Club...stays in Fight club. 

Just Joking, us old timers will get the Fight Club reference.  

Well, back to the reason for the post~ all the food was amazing!  I will post the delicious baked buffalo wings later (it will be in Katie's Korner).  This is a recipe you need to try.  No one could stop eating the wings, they were so good and BAKED. 

Then for dessert, Lori brought these AMAZING cupcakes and I do mean AMAZING.  She told me she got the recipe on Pinterest so I got on there today and found the recipe.  So here it is~

Ingredients:

For the Cake:
1 box devil’s food cake mix
1 small pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup chocolate milk (the good kind)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the Ganache:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
approximately 1 cup heavy whipping cream (don’t measure it out)

For the Retro Cream Filling:
1 – 7 oz. jar Marshmallow Cream
1/2 c. shortening
1 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 Tbsp. milk

Optional: canned white frosting for the Little Debbie swirl up top

Directions:

1. Whisk together all cake ingredients (reserving the chocolate chips) until a smooth batter forms. Fold in the chocolate chips. Distribute batter evenly among 24-36 liners (do not over fill– you don’t want domed cupcakes for this). Bake at 350º for 20 minutes. Let cool.
2. Using an electric hand mixer, beat together the shortening and the marshmallow cream in a very large bowl (there will be splatter– you’ve been warned). Beat in the powdered sugar, 1/3 cup at a time. Add the vanilla and the salt. Beat in the milk, 1 tbsp. at a time, beating in between additions, until mixture is smooth and fluffy.
3. Cut out small circles from the tops of the cupcakes. Use a ziptop bag to pipe the fluff filling into each hole. Replace the cupcake top over the filling and press gently to flatten.
4. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips and whipping cream for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes. Spoon over each of the cupcakes.
5. Let the ganache cool for at least an hour if piping on the Little Debbie swirl on top. (I just used canned frosting for that part– but feel free to use whatever frosting you’d like!)

Starbucks Copycat Caramel Scones

click here for original recipe

I didn't have cream or half and half so I made a few adjustments.  I also didn't make the topping I just made a maple glaze and it was great.   My husband and son think they are great.  I didn't follow the directions below... I beat the flour and butter together to see if it made a difference.  I think it did, so next time I will follow the directions and see what happens. 

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter (or margarine) (my addition the 2 T butter)

3/4 cup half and half or light whipping cream

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt (if unsalted butter is used)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup milk (for best results use whole milk)

1 1/2 whole milk  (my addition)

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup butterscotch baking chips

Topping

1/3 cup butterscotch chopped baking chips

1 egg white, slightly beaten

Confectioner's (powdered) sugar (optional)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place flour and butter in a medium mixing bowl, combine with your fingers

to a coarse meal consistency. Add sugar, baking powder and salt (if used) combine well. Stir in cream, vanilla and egg,

blending well to form a soft dough.

Scoop mixture onto baking sheet. Brush tops with beaten egg white; sprinkle ground butterscotch chips over top. Bake

until browned - 16-18 minutes.

Dust with confectioner's sugar when cool if desired .

Gingerbread Loaf

Starbucks copy cat Gingerbread Loaf

 recipe adapted from "A cup of Mascarpone."

I am so glad I stumbled across this blog today  "A cup of Mascarpone,"  All of her food looks so delicious and the presentation is great.  I wanted a slice of her Gingerbread Loaf as soon as I saw it, so I check my cupboards for the ingredients and had everything but the orange extract.

  I just used orange juice and zest and it was fine. 

 This really does taste like Starbucks Gingerbread loaf.    

Ingredients:

for the loaf:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon orange fresh squeezed orange juice 

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 egg at room temperature

1 cup natural applesauce

1 teaspoon baking soda

for the frosting:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 teaspoon fresh squeezed orange juice

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

Optional chopped candied ginger or candied orange peel for garnish

Create the Gingerbread Loaf and Frosting:

create the loaf:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9"x5" bread pan (not mini bread pans). 

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, stir in orange juice and zest, add egg and mix well.  Add baking soda, applesauce and flour and beat until smooth.

Scoop the batter into prepared loaf pan(s).

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. If baking the 2 smaller loaves, bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

create the frosting:

Beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add orange juice and zest. Slowly beat in confectioner's sugar.

Once the cake has cooled, evenly spread the frosting on top. Garnish with chopped candied ginger or orange peel, if desired.

Adapted with slight changes from The Restaurant Recipe Blog.

Wish List Ornament

I just saw the cutest Wish List Ornament on  Clean and Scentibles Blog.  Click here to check it out, Jenn's is way cuter than mine.  I made the red one 6 years ago and thought I would make one every year but it was kind of a pain.  I kept getting the measurements wrong and didn't want to mess with it again.  Well, Jenn has the best step by step directions along with the Wish List printable so it is really easy.  Go to her blog, for the instructions.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

                                  Recipe adapted from The Big Green Bowl

Chocolate Chip Cookies
A Picture can say a thousand words and boy this picture told me to make these cookies a.s.a.p.  Click here to see the picture.  Now everyone knows I love Toll House and thought they were the best.  After trying this recipe I have decided to add it to my TOP 10 favorites.  This cookie is delicious and I think I need to make both and do a blind taste test.  It is too hard.  The only thing I changed is I reduced the granulated sugar a little, it was a little sweet for me.  After I had made a change to the Nestle's recipe, I used half shortening and half butter and was happy with the texture and they always taste delicious.    My boys loved the cookies


Preheat 375-F degree's  
  Makes 48 Cookies


Ingredients
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
2/3 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
8 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
1/2 seasonal colored M&M's
Beat together shortening, butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix flour, soda and salt with a whisk. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Stir in the m&m's, nuts and chips.

Love Bakes Good Cakes One Pot Goulash

Recipe adapted from Love Bakes Good Cakes

When I saw this recipe it brought back childhood memories. I'm not even sure where the memories come from but they seem fond.  This wasn't something we cooked for my family, I must have had dinner over a friends house and this was probably what they served. The one thing I do remember is that I loved it!
This will go in my GO TO Recipe binder, my boys loved it.  My older son said it was one of my better pasta recipes.  I messed up on the recipe a little.  I was so mad at myself because it should have been an one pot dish and I used three, I thought the recipe said CROCK POT Goulash. 

Yield: 6 servings
2 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 cups water
1 can (29 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1-2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
Salt and pepper, to taste
 2½ cups uncooked elbow macaroni
Directions
In a 5 qt. pan, cook and crumble beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Add the onion, green pepper and mushrooms. Cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Drain if desired. Add beef mixture back to the pot and add garlic, water, tomato sauce, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, paprika, sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add the elbow macaroni and stir well. Return lid and continue to simmer for 15 minutes or until the noodles are done. Allow to sit covered for 5-10 minutes and mix well before serving. http://www.lovebakesgoodcakes.com/2012/11/one-pot-goulash.html

Barbecue Baked Beans

recipe from "This Gal Cooks"     

I saw this recipe on This Gal Cooks blog, a few days  ago and couldn't wait to try it. 

These are now a Nelsen Family Favorite...I can't wait to bring them to the next barbecue. 

If you are taking them to a barbecue, you will need to triple the recipe. I probably will only use 16 oz. of bacon.  

 

Ingredients

 8oz of bacon 

1 16oz can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 15.8oz can of northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 C brown sugar

2 1/2 tbsp molasses

1/2 C ketchup

3/4 tsp ground mustard

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp liquid smoke

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp salt
***Note I didn't have molasses so I used agave nectar. 

Directions

• Cook the bacon in a large pan, then remove the bacon from the pan and set aside, leaving the bacon grease in the pan.
• Cook the onion in the pan of bacon grease and cook until tender.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the: molasses, cayenne pepper, ketchup, ground mustard, sugar, salt, liquid smoke. Mix in with the onion and bacon grease. Add the beans and mix well.
• Pour the beans into a baking dish and place the cooked bacon on top. Bake on 350 for 30 minutes.
  

Apple Cobbler Dump Cake

Recipe from: Come Together Kids

The Apple dump cake I made last week with pie filling wasn't good..  I loved the topping and the recipe is so easy.   So, I found this recipe and love it.  This recipe is so easy and delicious, my favorite apple recipe so far.

Ingredients
* 5 fresh apples peeled  (1/4 in. thick) 
* box of yellow cake mix
* 1 stick of butter

Directions:
1. Spray a pie dish with cooking spray.
2. Dump the apples in the dish and spread them evenly over the bottom.
3. Pour a layer of dry cake mix over the apples. (You might not have to use the whole bag, use just enough to cover the apples with a decent layer)

4. Melt a stick of butter and pour the melted butter evenly over the cake mix.
5.  Sprinkle a little apple pie spice or cinnamon over the top.
6. Bake at 350* for about 35-45 minutes until the top is slightly golden and the apples are hot and bubbly. (Note: with about 10-15 minutes left in the cooking time, peek in at your cobbler. If you notice there are some dry patches of cake mix, you can sprinkle just a little bit of water on them so it's not powdery. Then continue baking)
7. Optional- scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with caramel sauce.

Pumpkin Delight

                               Recipe from "The Best Laid Plans"
I found this great recipe on "The Best Laid Plans," Blog.  Not only does she have great recipes but here is a hand made Scarf.  This will be my next project, I just need to go through my old shirts.

Now back to the Pumpkin Delight, both my sons loved it, but Trevor surprised me because he hasn't been eating any of my pumpkin dishes lately.   He asked for 5 servings, I only gave him 2.   I recommend this to anyone that likes pumpkin, it is one of the easiest desserts and very delicious.  I will definitely make it for Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:

1 Duncan Hines Butter Yellow Cake Mix
1 15 ounce pumpkin puree
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 8 ounce Cool Whip
1 cup Heath Bits
Caramel Sauce - I use Hershey's squirt bottle

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Put pumpkin puree in a medium mixing bowl and slowly add cake mix while mixing. Pour in to a sprayed 9 x 13 baking pan or casserole dish.
• Bake for 25 minutes.
• Let cool for 10 minutes.
• Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in to the cake.
• Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk over the cake evenly.
• Cool for a minimum of 30 minutes. I let mine cool a couple of hours because I had other things to do.
• Spread Cool Whip over the top of the cake.
• Drizzle the caramel syrup over the top. I used a zig zag motion.
• Sprinkle Heath bits.
• Chill for at least 3 hours but can be chilled overnight.
• Enjoy!

Mandatory Mooch Apple Dump cake

Recipe from The Mandatory Mooch

I love Dump Cake recipes, so when I saw

Apple Dump Cake I had to try it.  I wondered

if I would like it because I am not a big fan

of apple pie.  But, It is really good.

I tried the same recipe but sliced 5 apples instead of the canned pie filling.  

I preferred the sliced apples over canned pie filling
.

Ingredients

2 cans apple pie filling or 5 evenly sliced apples
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 box yellow cake mix (I used french vanilla)
2 sticks butter
1 cup pecans, chopped

whipped cream or ice cream

Preheat oven to 375 Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Dump two cans of apple pie filling into a 9×13 pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Crumble the dry cake mix over the apple mixture. Sprinkle the pecans over the cake mix. Slice each stick of butter into 12 equal pieces, and place the pieces on top. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Candied Bacon Waffles

     I am so happy I found this recipe at  Penny Candy Studious blog.

Stuffed Peppers

 This recipe earned its way into my Go To Recipes. 

Simply Love Food's Southwestern

Recipe Adapted from Simply Love Food

Since, my sister-in-law Julie has been a big part of this blog, I asked her to share her

 GO TO recipe with me and my readers.  I wanted to feature something she makes for her family.  She gave me a recipe she got on Pinterest for Southwestern Stuffed Pepper.

 I would suggest this recipe to anyone that likes stuffed peppers and Mexican food. 

 Ingredients

1/2 lb lean ground turkey breast 

1 cup chopped onions

1 heaping tbsp of homemade taco seasoning (or you can use the packaged type if you like)

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups of cooked rice (any type you like) 

3-4  bell peppers, halved and seeds removed

1 can of black beans, drained & rinsed I didn't have any

½ cup of frozen corn

1 (15 -16 ounce) jar of salsa ( I used a chipotle salsa)

1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Garnish with these toppings: fresh cilantro, sour cream,sliced avocado

Step 1.  Cook 2 cups of rice
Step 2.  Cut the peppers in half and seed them.
Step 3.  Boil the peppers for about 15 to 20 minutes, if you like them soft.
Step 4.  In a frying pan saute the hamburger, add the taco seasoning,onion, and 1 teaspoon salt.

Step 5.   Add the 16 oz jar of salsa or 2 cups homemade.
Step 6.  Add 1/2 Cup frozen corn I used Trader Joe's frozen grilled corn

Spoon the hamburger mixture into each half of the bell peppers and place back into the baking dish. Cook the peppers for another 15-20 minutes or until the peppers are cooked all the way.  Before removing from the oven sprinkle the tops of each pepper with shredded cheddar cheese. Place back into the oven until the cheese has melted.
Remove from the oven and top with fresh cilantro, avocado slices and/or sour cream just before serving.

I also wanted to Thank Brandi at Simply Love Food for sharing her recipes and inspiring people to cook.