EASYBAKED

Mom’s Amazing Coffee Cake!

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Ruthanne

This delicious coffee cake has hidden layers of cinnamon and pecans- and a yummy cream cheese frosting!

My mom used to make this delicious coffee cake whenever my grandparents (her mom and dad) would come to visit. I have great memories of sitting around the table having this with all of them and listening to all the “grown-up” talk. They were from Wisconsin, so a visit always meant a couple of days with us in Michigan. I’d get up early and take a long walk with grandpa and our overweight basset hound Max before breakfast, and return to a kitchen table full of family, laughter, and this coffee cake.

My grandparents lived very active and adventurous lives until they left us for heaven several years ago.

Mom, as those of you who keep up with this blog know, left us for heaven about a year and a half ago.

A friend sent me an article last week about 8 ways to celebrate Mother’s Day if your mom is in heaven. They were great ideas, and the very 1st one was, “Make her favorite recipe”. I think her favorite recipe was my grandma’s recipe for German Sauerbraten, but since desserts are my specialty, I decided on this coffeecake as my “remembering mom” recipe.

As my kitchen filled up with the smell of this baking, it made me smile. And remember.

Here’s how to make it: (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:

1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup of sugar
3 eggs
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of sour cream
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Filling:

1 cup of finely chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
4 tablespoons of butter, melted
4 tablespoons of flour
2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Icing:

4 oz. (half a package) of cream cheese
4 tablespoons of butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
Dash of salt
2 cups of powdered sugar
1/2 cup of white chocolate chips, melted

DIRECTIONS:

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease/flour a bundt cake pan.
Cream butter and sugar together.
Add eggs and beat well.
Add flour, soda and salt. Mix well.
Add sour cream and vanilla and mix well. Set aside.

Filling:

Combine all ingredients until completely coated in melted butter.
Assemble cake: pour about 1/2 of batter into prepared bundt cake pan, sprinkle more than 1/2 of filling on batter, pour remaining batter over filling and then sprinkle remaining filling over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Cool and tip out of pan onto serving plate.

Icing:

Combine all ingredients except chocolate in a large mixing bowl and beat on high until smooth and fluffy.
Add melted chocolate and beat until smooth.
Spread over the top of the cooled coffee cake.
Enjoy!

My thoughts: Warm this up for a few seconds in the microwave before serving and YUM!!! You can keep this cake in an airtight container in the fridge and serve it for several days. I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as ours did over the years!! ~r

Whether you are celebrating your mom in person, or thanking God for wonderful memories of her today, Happy Mother’s Day to you and to your family!

This one’s for you mom!

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Other recipes from my mom: (click on photo to see recipe)

No, seriously…you have to try that 1st one…best. cake. ever. 🙂

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Posted in Cakes and tagged best, breakfast, cake, cinnamon, coffee cake, cream cheese icing, dessert, family recipe, mothers day recipe, pecans. Bookmark the permalink.

Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes!

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Ruthanne

These delicious orange cupcakes have a white chocolate cup of vanilla ice cream in the center! Just like everyone’s favorite Orange Creamsicle frozen treats! Summer is coming…. you need these frozen cupcake treats!!!!

Confession: I hate all things orange flavored.

Confession: I was making cookie dough cupcakes for a party last week and I accidentally grabbed an orange cake mix instead of a chocolate cake mix at the store. I’m not sure how you do that… but I did. I had to rush to the store for a chocolate cake mix and then I was stuck with this orange one…. and I hate…hate…hate orange.

My dad suggested a Creamsicle cupcake and I went for it. Turns out, everyone else in the world LOVES orange Creamsicles- so it all worked out.

I knew I wanted ice cream in the middle, but I didn’t want a soggy cupcake. Solution: the fun chocolate bomb mold that I’ve been raving about and using on cupcakes whenever I get a chance! Best kitchen gadget ever! I used the mold to make little white chocolate cups to hold the scoop of ice cream on top. Perfect!

Here’s how I put these fun little desserts together: (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

One box of orange cake mix (plus oil, water and eggs to make according to package)
1 bag of Wilton’s candy melts in white
2 sticks of butter (room temp)
1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Orange food coloring (if desired)
Vanilla ice cream
Cool Whip (if desired)
Sprinkles to decorate

DIRECTIONS

Make cake mix according to package and divide equally into 24 cupcake liners in cupcake tins.
Bake according to package and cool.
Make icing by combining butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in bowl and beating until light and fluffy. Color orange if desired.
Place icing in a large zip-top bag fitted with a round tip, and set aside.
Melt candy melts in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between until completely melted.
Use a pastry brush to brush candy melts inside each cavity of the chocolate bomb mold and freeze for a few minutes.
Coat a second time (it needs to be nice and thick since we aren’t filling them before popping them out of the mold).
Pop these cups out of the mold by peeling the silicone away. Repeat.

Assemble cupcakes by cutting a small core out of the center of each one, pipe a little frosting into this core, and set a chocolate cup on top.

Pipe frosting dots all the way around the edge of the cup.

You can hold the cupcakes here until serving and do the next steps right beforehand- or do the following steps and keep the entire cupcake frozen until serving. Depends on how and where you will be serving them.
Place a small scoop of ice cream into the center
Top with Cool Whip, and sprinkles as desired

Enjoy!!!!!

My thoughts: Well, I didn’t try these, but I did share them and according to others, they are a yummy success! These work best if you keep them at room temp and add the ice cream just before serving. If you add the ice cream ahead of time, let the cupcakes and ice cream warm up and soften a bit before serving- otherwise they are fairly difficult to eat! At room temperature though… cake and ice cream all at once!!! YUM! Enjoy!!! ~r

Other fun ice cream desserts to try! (click on a photo to see the recipe)

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Posted in Candy, Cupcakes, Frozen desserts and tagged butter cream frosting, chocolate bomb, Creamsicle cupcakes, cupcake ideas, cupcakes, dessert, Dreamsicle, fun cupcake ideas, ice cream cupcakes, Orange, Orange creamsicle, Orange cupcakes, summer cupcakes, unique cupcake recipes, white chocolate. Bookmark the permalink.

Cookie Monster Oreos!!!!!

Posted on March 5, 2016 by Ruthanne

Turn your cookies into Cookie Monsters with these adorable Oreo treats!

So, Valentine’s Day happened last month, and I have started a tradition of making my Oreo Prince Charming Frogs as little Valentines for friends and family. As I was popping little red M&Ms into like 100 little frog “mouths”, it suddenly occurred to me that they looked a little like Cookie Monster. I brainstormed for a cute little cookie, got myself some blue candy melts, and had so much fun making these little guys this week!!!!!

Ah….so cute and fun! I gave them as gifts to as many kids as I could… and the smiles…. 🙂 You need to try these…!!!!!!

Here’s how we put them together (I took pictures as I went!)

INGREDIENTS: (makes 24-28 cookies)

One package of Double Stuff Oreos (you need that wide opening to fit a mini-cookie!)
One bag of Wilton’s Candy Melts in royal blue
Candy eyes
Royal Blue decorating sugar (I had such a time finding this- I wanted blue jimmies, but settled on these sugar crystals from CK Products.)
A box of Cookie Crisp cereal.
Several drinking straws.

DIRECTIONS:

Place Candy eyes, and about 24-28 pieces of cookie cereal into two small bowls.
Place parchment paper over flat working surface.
Melt Candy Melts in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between until melted and smooth.
Dip Oreo in melts and use a fork to lift out. Tap firmly against side of bowl to remove excess candy and slide along bowl edge as you remove it.
Gently slide covered Oreo onto parchment paper. Immediately sprinkle with sugar, and place eyes (a tweezer helps with this).

Place a piece of cookie cereal in “mouth”. You may need to wait a little bit until the melts harden up a bit and get sticky. I found that a drinking straw placed in front of each one helped hold the cookie in place until it hardened.

Allow little monsters to harden and then share them with anyone who needs a smile 🙂

My thoughts: SO. FUN. I really loved making these and sharing them. I packaged them up in little cello bags that I got at Michaels, and I made stickers for the back using Avery square labels (#22806). I will attach the pdf for these here. Be sure when you print them on these labels to print them as “actual size”. Sometimes printers will automatically shrink an image to fit a page better, and if you let it do that they won’t line up with the stickers. I also tied up a few bags of just cookie cereal to go along with them. It was really fun.

The perfect finishing touch! Enjoy these dear readers!!!!!! ~r

Other desserts for the Cookie Monster in you! (Click on a photo to see the recipe)

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Posted in Candy, Cookies and tagged candy melts, chocolate, chocolate chip cookie, Cookie Crisp cereal, Cookie monster Oreos, Cookie Monster treats, cookies, creative cookies, kids cookies, kids party, kids party ideas, Oreos, sesame street cookies, sesame street dessert. Bookmark the permalink.

Cookie Dough Layer Cake

Posted on February 27, 2016 by Ruthanne

Creamy cookie dough filling surrounded by rich chocolate cake and topped with a delicious chocolate glaze. An easy, beautiful and oh-soo-yummy dessert!

I’m in love with cookie dough. When I go to those fancy yogurt shops where you make your own sundae I am always tempted to skip the yogurt and just fill my dish with those little cookie dough bites. This easy (super, super easy) layer cake is filled with my favorite creamy cookie dough. I’ve used it to top cupcakes and to fill brownies— and now to fill cake. I love it. I think you will too!

As in most of my recipes, this dessert is made simple with the use of a cake mix (I used a Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge here), but you can substitute your favorite cake recipe instead. More work… but that’s up to you!

Here is how we put this cake together: (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

Cake/Filling:

One boxed chocolate cake mix (plus water, oil and eggs to make according to package)
2 sticks (8 oz.) unsalted butter(softened)
2 sticks (8 oz.) salted butter(softened)
2 c. powered sugar
1 c. brown sugar (packed)
3 T. vanilla
1/3c. flour
1 (12 oz) bag of mini chocolate chips.

Glaze:

1 1/2 sticks of salted butter
1 12 oz. package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Make cake mix (or your favorite cake recipe) and bake according to box/recipe in 2- 8 or 9 inch round pans.
Cool cakes completely.
While cakes are baking and cooling, make your filling.
Place all filling ingredients except mini chips into a large mixing bowl and beat with mixer on low until combined and then high until light and fluffy.
Add mini chips (keep about 1/3 of a cup aside to sprinkle on sides and top of cake) and beat on low until fully combined.
Make glaze by melting butter and chips together and set aside.
Once cakes are cool, trim the tops so they are flat.
Place 1 cake on serving plate, cut side up, and spread a little of the glaze on top.
Spoon all of filling on top and spread all the way to the edge of the cake.
Place second cake on top, cut side down, and use a knife to smooth edges of filling flat between the two cake layers.
Sprinkle edges of filling with extra chocolate chips, and then pour glaze over the top and add the rest of the chips.
Refrigerate until firm.

My thoughts: I wondered if the filling layer was too thick (it’s a lot of filling!) I knew that I would love all that cookie dough, but would others? They did. It got rave reviews and even a 2 thumbs up from a frosting-hater 🙂 You could make half of the filling recipe if you want- but it is honestly soooo yummy to have a big bite of cookie dough with every bite of cake. Wish I had some left…! Enjoy! ~r

Other fun layered caked here at Easybaked (click on a photo to see the recipe):

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Posted in Cakes, Cookies and tagged best, cake, chocolate, chocolate chip cookie dough cake, chocolate fudge cake, chocolate glaze, cookie dough, cookie dough cake, cookie dough dessert, creative cake recipe, creative dessert, dessert, layer cake, recipe, unique dessert. Bookmark the permalink.

Berry Bomb Cupcakes

Posted on January 15, 2016 by Ruthanne

These delicious cupcakes are topped with a dome of raspberry cream and a touch of black raspberry jam- a perfectly pink Valentine’s Day treat!

I love berries over vanilla cake- it reminds me of summer and makes me smile. I got a little creative with the presentation, but I think that makes them just perfect as a Valentine– don’t you?

These are incredibly delicious and fun to make. They use a fun (and inexpensive) silicone mold that I got here and have used before on my Peanut Butter Bomb Brownies. I just love how beautiful the dome of white chocolate looks atop these cupcakes! There are so many possibilities for fillings….!

Want to know how we made these cute little desserts? Here you go: (Printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

One boxed white cake mix (with water, oil and eggs to make according to package)
1 large jar of black raspberry preserves
1 can of strawberry frosting
2 packets of Dream Whip
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon of raspberry extract
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
Pink food color gel (to desired shade)
2 bags of Wiltons candy melts in bright white.

DIRECTIONS:

Make cake mix according to package and divide into 24-28 cupcake liners placed in a muffin tin. Fill only about 1/2 full so that they bake up flat and not mounded up and over edges. Bake according to package.
Make Berry Bomb filling by combining Dream Whip, milk, extract, and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl and blending together with mixer until stiff peaks form. Add coloring to desired shade of pink.
Melt Wiltons candy melts and use a brush to “paint” the melts into the inside of the silicone mold. Do two layers and then freeze until hard (5 minutes).
Place filling into a large zip-top bag and clip a corner. Pipe filling into hardened cups- about 3/4 full- and then top with a little jam.
Use a knife to spread jam flat and freeze another 5-10 minutes.
Carefully remove berry bombs from mold and place, round side down and sticky jam side up, on a wax-papered plate. Keep these cool until all bombs are made.

Open strawberry frosting and warm in the microwave for about 15 seconds- just until it softens a bit when stirred,
Spoon frosting over tops of cupcakes, allowing it to spread to edges.
Gently set a bomb on top of cupcake, pressing it into the soft frosting (I used wax paper to touch chocolate to prevent fingerprints)
Allow frosting to firm up and hold the bomb in place.
Drizzle with a little red or pink melted candy melts if desired. Keep refrigerated until serving.
Enjoy!!!!!!!

My thoughts: These are a fun and refreshing twist on a berry-topped cupcake. The bombs take a little time to make- since you have to to do them in batches of 6. I recommend you start making them when you start the cupcakes. You can be in and out of the freezer while you are baking and save a little time. My other thought- serve these with a fork!!! When you bite into them and that white candy shell breaks it is too much to hold onto. I promise. Use forks 🙂 I hope you enjoy making and eating these as much as I did!! ~r

Other Valentines Day treats to try (click on a photo to see the recipe)

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Posted in Cupcakes and tagged berry cupcake, best, black raspberry, chocolate bomb, cupcake, cupcakes, dessert, raspberry, raspberry cream, recipe, strawberry, Valentines day cupcake, white chocolate. Bookmark the permalink.

NYE Ball Drop Cupcakes!

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Ruthanne

Delicious chocolate cupcakes topped with whipped chocolate buttercream and a white chocolate truffle all dressed up for New Year’s Eve! Happy New Year to you!

These fun little cupcakes are an easy and fun way to ring in the New Year. I used Lindt White Chocolate Truffles for the NYE ball, and my very yummiest chocolate buttercream. Aren’t they cute???

Ball Drop Cupcakes4

Here is how we put these fun little party desserts together:

INGREDIENTS:

One boxed chocolate cake mix (or your favorite recipe) plus eggs, water and oil to make according to package.
2 sticks of salted butter, softened
2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
3 cups of powdered sugar
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
24 Lindt white chocolate truffles
24 decorative picks (I got mine at Target)
24 New Year picks (I got mine at CK products)
Gold food coloring dust (I got mine at CK products)

DIRECTIONS:

Unwrap 24 Lindt truffles and put a decorative pick all the way through each one.
Use a clean (food only) paint brush and some water to paint the truffle gold using the coloring dust. Hold the truffle by the pick and mix dust with water until it forms a thick paste and can be painted onto the truffle. This may take two coats to smooth it out.
Allow painted truffle to dry on a plate or some parchment paper.

Ball Drop Cupcakes1 Ball Drop Cupcakes2

Make cake mix according to box instructions and divide evenly among 24 cupcake liners placed in a cupcake tin.
Bake according to box, and cool completely.
Make frosting by adding softened butter, powdered sugar and cocoa together in a large mixing bowl and beating on high until light and fluffy.
Place frosting in a large zip-top bag fitted with a decorating tip, and pipe frosting on each cooled cupcake.
Decorate with a truffle and with NYE cupcake picks.
Enjoy! (and remind everyone to NOT eat the picks!) 🙂

My thoughts: These are fun and yummy treats!!! It takes a little time to paint the truffles, but they are such a creamy and yummy addition to this cupcake!

So, Happy 2016 to each of you!!! Enjoy!!! ~r

Other fun New Year’s dessert ideas: (click on the photo to see the recipe)

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Candy Cane Brownies

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Ruthanne

Nothing says Merry Christmas like peppermint and chocolate! These beautiful little brownies combine those two flavors in a colorful, layered treat!

These brownies are an Easybaked staple. I’ve swapped that peppermint filling up for everything from cookie dough to caramel. I love recipes that can be changed up with different flavors and looks!!! This peppermint candy cane flavor is the most beautiful filling I’ve used in these though. The guests at every party I’ve shared them at have all commented on how pretty and festive they are. They just make me smile- and they really aren’t that difficult to make! Promise.

This recipe makes a lot of brownies. The good news? They freeze really well and can be made ahead for all your Christmas gatherings. Just pop them out of the freezer and thaw!

Here’s how we made them: (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

Brownie:

1cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Peppermint Filling:

5 cups powdered sugar
8 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
red and pink food coloring

Fudge Topping:

12oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 tablespoons butter (do not substitute margarine here!)
Wilton Candy melts in Red, Pink and White (if desired for design on top)

DIRECTIONS:

Brownie:

Preheat oven to 350.
Cream butter and sugar together.
Beat in eggs, cocoa, vanilla and salt.
Add flour and milk (alternating them and mixing well in between)
Spread evenly in greased jelly roll pan (12 1/2 x 17 1/2 x 1″).
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until done in center and just starting to pull away from sides.
Cool.

Mint Frosting:

Add melted butter to sugar and extract.
Mix well, using water to bring it to a thick but spreadable consistency.
Divide into 3 parts and use food coloring to color one part red, and one part pink.
Place little dollops of each colored filling all over the cooled brownies (I placed the fillings in small zip-top bags, clipped a corner off and piped these on.
Spread colors together into one even layer that covers entire top of brownies.

Fudge Topping:

Melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth.
If desired, melt about 1/8cup each of Wilton’s Candy Melts in White, Red and Pink. Place in small zip-top bags and clip corner on each.
Pour melted chocolate and butter mixture over peppermint filling and spread evenly over top.
Immediately, pipes lines in all three candy melt colors across the entire top of the brownies.
Immediately after piping, use a toothpick or a cake-tester to drag across these lines- first one direction and then back the opposite to make the colorful design on top.
Chill until top layer is hard and cut into squares.

My thoughts: Love them! This brownie recipe never fails me, and I love experimenting with different flavors of filling! These will add a festive and fun layer to any dessert tray at your Christmas celebrations! Enjoy!! ~r

Take a look at some of the other fillings we have used in these brownies: (click on a photo to open the recipe)

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Posted in Brownies and tagged best Christmas brownies, brownies, candy cane, candy cane dessert, chocolate, christmas, Christmas dessert recipe, colorful dessert recipe, layered, mint, peppermint, peppermint dessert, peppermint filling, pretty Christmas dessert, recipe. Bookmark the permalink.

Christmas Card Cookies

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Ruthanne

These adorable cookies don’t just taste yummy- they also bear Christmas words of cheer with every delicious bite!

I saw this fun silicone mold by Wilton at my local grocery, and I couldn’t resist! So fun!!!

I made two varieties of these little cookie cards: Peppermint mocha and Gingerbread chocolate. Both were delicious and so fun to make!

You can use any of your favorite cut-out cookie recipes partnered with any Wilton Candy Melt flavors on top, but I thought these two combinations were delicious!

Want to know how to make these? Let’s start with the “card” toppers.

You’ll need about 3 bags of Wilton Candy Melts to make 24 cookie toppers.
Melt them in the microwave, one bag at a time, in 30 second increments, stirring between until smooth.
Spoon about 2 tablespoons into each cavity and use a small spoon to spread into corners.
Tap mold on counter to remove bubbles and freeze for about 10 minutes.
Carefully peel the mold away from each bar and repeat this process until you have 24.

This process takes a little time, but it can be done ahead of time and the little bars can be stored in an airtight container in a cool spot until needed. Keep different flavors separated from each other, and put a little parchment or wax paper between layers.

Then you can make the cookies!

One of my favorite Christmas recipes (of all time) is my grandma’s gingerbread cookie recipe. It’s on this blog a couple of times, but you can get the original (in grandma’s handwriting!) by clicking here. I paired this cookie with dark chocolate Wilton’s candy melts.

The other recipe I used, with peppermint card toppers, was my espresso cutout cookies. There’s nothing like peppermint, coffee and chocolate all together! You can see this recipe originally published on Easybaked by clicking here.

Make your cookie dough according to whatever recipe you desire and then use a cookie cutter to cut a large rectangle cookie. I used a 4.5″ x 3″ cutter that I found here.
Bake, cool and then take a little extra Candy Melt and a food-safe brush and brush melted candy on the back of each bar to attach it to the top of each cookie.
Press the bar down using a little wax paper on the top (if you touch it with your bare fingers you will get prints!)
Allow bar to harden onto the cookie and then serve! I placed each one in a little cello bag sealed with a sticker and gave them away with gifts.

So fun!!!!

My thoughts: These are a fun, creative and easy way to say Merry Christmas! The variety of flavors you can use is limited only by your imagination- but I recommend you use a cookie recipe that doesn’t “puff up” too much. You can see in my photos that my gingerbread cookies puffed up a little- making my edges not as pretty and straight as those chocolate espresso ones that don’t expand much at all. The gingerbread/chocolate combination was so yummy that I got over the slightly curved edges though! I hope you get a chance to try these- so fun!! ~r

Other Christmas recipe ideas here at Easybaked: (click on a photo to see the recipe)

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Posted in Candy, Cookies and tagged candy bar molds, candy molds, chocolate, christmas, Christmas cookies, edible Christmas cards, fun cookies, gingerbread cookies, mocha cookies, peppermint, peppermint mocha cookies, unique christmas cookies, Wilton peppermint melts. Bookmark the permalink.

Praline Fudge Brownies

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Ruthanne

A dense brownie covered in creamy praline filling and topped with chocolate fudge and pecans. This will satisfy the most demanding sweet tooth!!!!

I adore pralines. Especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas when anything with pecans is somehow better. Some people say they are just too sweet- and this filling is no exception! Paired with this not-too-sweet brownie, I think it is perfect though. These got rave reviews and several people exclaimed, “These taste like Christmas!”

So let’s make these yummy little treats! (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

Brownie:

1cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Praline Filling:

1 cup whipping cream
12 Tablespoons of butter
3 cups of brown sugar (packed)
1 1/2 cup of finely chopped pecans (divided)
3 cups of powdered sugar
2 teaspoon of vanilla

Fudge Topping:

12oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 tablespoons butter (do not substitute margarine here!)

DIRECTIONS:

Brownie:

Preheat oven to 350.
Cream butter and sugar together.
Beat in eggs, cocoa, vanilla and salt.
Add flour and milk (alternating them and mixing well in between)
Spread evenly in greased jelly roll pan (12 1/2 x 17 1/2 x 1″).
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until done in center and just starting to pull away from sides.
Cool.

Praline filling:

In a large saucepan, mix cream, butter and brown sugar.
Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture comes to a boil.
Cook for one minute, stirring constantly and then remove from heat.
Stir in powdered sugar, vanilla and 1 cup of pecans (you may need to do this in a separate bowl if your saucepan isn’t big enough)
Cool for 5 minutes, stirring often until it thickens up a bit.
Spoon mixture over cooled brownies and spread into a smooth layer over the top.

Fudge Topping:

Melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth.
Pour over praline filling and spread evenly over top.
Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of chopped pecans.
Chill until top layer is hard and cut into bars.

My thoughts: These aren’t hard to put together and they are oh-so-yummy!!! I froze about half of the batch in an air-tight container for several weeks and just pulled them out for a party I was having- they freeze GREAT. In fact, they are pretty yummy frozen. 🙂 I hope you get a chance to try these and enjoy them as much as I did!

Other yummy Christmas desserts: (click on a photo to see the recipe)

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Posted in Brownies and tagged beautiful brownies, best, brown sugar, brown sugar frosting, brownies, candy, chocolate, christmas, dessert, fun, layered brownies, pecans, praline filling, pralines, recipe. Bookmark the permalink.

Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Ruthanne

Pumpkin Cupcakes4

These cute little bites of pumpkin and sweet cream cheese frosting are a perfect Fall treat! Top them with a little Hershey Kiss acorn, and they are a sweet place setting for Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Cupcakes1

If you have followed this blog for very long, you know that I hate pumpkin. I cave in to autumn recipes though and sometimes create pumpkin treats for you all. I rely on others to tell me how they taste, and these got RAVE reviews from my taste-testing friends.

They are an adaptation of my mom’s delicious Pumpkin Roll, but in cute and bite-size portions!

And then there are those cute little acorns- easy and fun to make for your fall celebrations.

Pumpkin Cupcakes3

Here’s how we created all of this yummy-ness! (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS: (makes about 38-40 mini cupcakes)

Cupcakes:

2/3 cup pumpkin
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda

Frosting: (halve this if you don’t like piles of frosting as shown in my photos!)

8 oz (1 package) cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup of butter (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup white chocolate chips (melted)

Acorns:

40 Hershey kisses
40 mini Nilla Wafers
about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix together all of the cupcake ingredients, adding the flour, cinnamon and soda last. Blend well.
Spoon into mini cupcake liners, filling each about 3/4 full.
Bake for 14-16 minutes
Cool completely and frost.

Frosting:

On medium speed, beat together cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt until creamy.
Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth.
Melt white chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between, until smooth.
Add melted white chocolate to icing and beat on low until completely combined.
Place in a zip-top bag fitted with a decorating tip and pipe frosting on top of cooled mini cupcakes.
Add leaf sprinkles and acorn (if desired)

Acorns:

Count out about 40 chocolate chips, Nilla Wafers and (unwrapped!) Hershey kisses.
Melt remaining chocolate chips
Set Nilla Wafers flat side up on a plate.
Spread a small amount of melted chocolate on the bottom of a Hershey kiss and set it (melted chocolate side down) on a Nilla Wafer. Repeat until all kisses are placed and refrigerate until hardened together.
Use a toothpick to put a small amount of melted chocolate on a chocolate chip and carefully hold to the top of the Nilla Wafer until it hardens and stays (when the Nilla Wafer is cold from the fridge, this happens in seconds).
Use to decorate your table and your cupcakes!!!

Pumpkin Cupcakes2