Tag Archives: baking

German Apple Torte (Apfelkuchen)

Posted on December 4, 2025 by Ruthanne

I married into this recipe. My very first time visiting my husband’s grandma Gisela (Gisi, to us), she made this unbelievably delicious apple cake. I don’t even like cooked apples, but I politely took a piece and LOVED it!!!

With all of my heart, I believe we need to carry the recipes of the ones we love forward into new generations. I’ve featured recipes from both of my grandmas, my aunts and my mom here on the Easybaked blog, and I knew that this recipe needed to be shared with the world. Last week, grandma Gisi patiently explained her recipe (translated from German) so that I could try it, and the results made me smile.

This was how she greeted us on our visit last week- the birthday we were celebrating was my husband’s.

Grandma Gisi grew up in Neumarkt, a town in Bavaria, Germany. Her aunt Minni used to make this cake, and now she has made it for her own family occasions for years. To me, it feels like shortbread or butter cookies with a big sweet layer of tart apples in the middle. Is it a cake? A torte? It’s like nothing I’ve ever had before and it’s delicious!

Want to try it? Here’s the recipe (in English!!!) (printable recipe here)

Ingredients:

12 medium McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
Juice from one lemon
3-4 Tablespoons of water
1 1/3 cup of granulated sugar (divided into two 2/3 portions)
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 3/4 cups of flour (may need a little extra if dough is sticky)
2 sticks of butter plus 2 Tablespoons, softened to room temperature
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon of baking powder
1/4 cup of powdered sugar (to sift over the top of cake)

Directions: (pay attention to my extra notes!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Prepare a 26cm (or 10 inch) springform pan by spraying it with cooking spray.
Place prepared apples, lemon juice, 2/3 cup sugar, and cinnamon into a large pot and cook over the stove on medium heat, stirring to prevent them from burning.
Cook apples until they are softened but not mushy and set aside. *Note: the amount of water needed depends on the size of your apples, so if your mixture is soupy after cooking (small apples), spoon some of the liquid away until the apples are still covered in a light sauce, but not dripping with it.*
In a mixing bowl, cream together butter with 2/3 cup sugar, and add eggs and vanilla.
Add flour and baking powder, and mix until combined.
Knead dough together with your hands until it is smooth. Start with 2 and 3/4 cups of flour and if it is sticky, add a little extra flour until it is a nice roll-out cookie dough consistency.
Divide dough into 2 equal parts, and press one part into the bottom of your springform pan, pushing the edge up a little along the sides (to hold the apple filling in a bit). Think cookie- not cake. I was surprised at how thin the layer of dough was, but it rose some in the oven.
Bake this bottom layer at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes to firm it up a little.
Remove from oven, pour apple filling in and spread it to cover the base.
Press bits of the remaining dough flat with your hands and lay it on the top of the apples, pinching together each section to form a complete layer of dough on top of the apples. *Note: This step sounded difficult to me, so I simply rolled a 10 inch circle of the dough on parchment paper using a rolling pin, and flipped it over the apple layer like a pie crust*
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (when you can see that it is beginning to brown a little on top, it is done).
Cool and sift powdered sugar over the top before serving.
Enjoy!

My thoughts: Other than the apple prep, this cake is really simple to make. Grandma Gisi told me that to make this cake the correct German way, you really need to purchase a 26cm springform pan. I found that a 10 inch one worked fine as well, but if you want to stay true to the original recipe, you should get that 26cm pan 🙂 I really hope you try and enjoy this delicious cake! Recipes from grandma are always the best!

Other delicious family recipes you might want to try (click a photo to see the recipe):

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Posted in Cakes, Pies, Tarts and tagged apfelkuchen, apple cake, apple dessert, apple torte, baking, cake, cookies, dessert, family recipe, fruit dessert, german dessert, layer cake, recipe, recipes. Bookmark the permalink.

S’mOreos!

Posted on November 14, 2025 by Ruthanne

These are one of my new favorite treats! Take a S’more, add an Oreo, and you have… a S’mOreo! These take a little while to put together, but the end result is SO worth the effort!

(The links to Amazon in this recipe are affiliate links. Your purchases help to support future recipe creations here on Easybaked!)

One note to make: Originally I made these, and photographed them on sticks, like an Oreo pop, but since then, I have made them in a mold without a stick, and they were much easier to eat, as they are very heavy on a stick. You choose which way you like them best, but use the correct Oreo mold (with sticks or without).

Ready to give these a try? Here is a printable recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

24 Double Stuf Oreos
2 12 oz bags of Wiltons Candy melts in dark cocoa
1 12 oz bag of Wiltons Candy melts in white
1 small jar of marshmallow fluff
About 8-10 graham crackers
24 Hershey’s milk chocolate drops
You will also need a 1 inch circle cookie cutter

DIRECTIONS:

Cut 24 1 inch circles out of graham crackers, and brush away crumbs.
Melt both white and cocoa candy melts in microwave-safe bowl in 30 second increments, stirring in between until smooth.
Place a small amount (1/4 cup) of dark cocoa melts into a zip-top bag and clip a small corner.
Using a fork, dip graham crackers into white chocolate melts. Tap fork on edge of bowl and drag bottom of cracker along edge to get off excess white chocolate.
Slide onto parchment paper and drizzle lines of dark cocoa across the top. Squeeze the remaining cocoa melts back into the bowl with the rest of the cocoa melts.
Set a Hershey drop on top and allow this to cool and harden.

Slide sticks into Oreos at this point (if using).
Using a knife, spread a layer of marshmallow fluff on top of 4 Oreos.
Spoon about 1 tablespoon of cocoa melts into each mold cavity.
Press an Oreo into each cavity, allowing melts to rise up along sides.
Spoon a little more of the candy melts on top, and tap on counter to get bubbles out and fill in along the sides. Note: if you have these clear molds, you can lift them up and check for any areas that might have bubbles or where the melts aren’t covering the Oreo, and use a toothpick to poke those out and allow the candy melts to fill in.
Allow candy melts to harden. I put these on a small cookie sheet and freeze them for about 5 minutes to speed up the process.
Turn the mold over and tap to release the covered Oreo.
Once these are room temperature, use a little of the white melts (reheat if needed) to spread on the bottom of each covered graham cracker and then press on top of covered Oreo.
Allow this to harden, and wrap in a little cello bag to keep fresh. These will stay fresh for about 1 week if they are kept wrapped in one of these.

My thoughts: YUM! These are my favorite variety of Oreo dessert I’ve made so far (and we love Oreos around here!) Nick, my favorite taste-testing hubby agrees. These are the perfect blend of flavors! I really hope you get a chance to try them! Enjoy! ~r

In case you love Oreo desserts, and want a few more ideas, click on a photo to see the recipe!

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Posted in Cake Pops, oreo pops and tagged baking, Campfire dessert, chocolate, dessert, food, marshmallow, oreo, Oreo dessert, recipes, s'mores, S'mores desserts, smores, smores desserts. Bookmark the permalink.

Friendly Monster Oreo Pops

Posted on October 26, 2025 by Ruthanne

These friendly purple monsters are filled with an Oreo, and are sure to make the kids in your life smile this Halloween!

(The links to Amazon in this recipe are affiliate links. Your purchases help to support future recipe creations!)

Usually, I dip my Oreo pops, but this time I used some Oreo Pop molds (got mine here), and I love how they turned out! If you don’t want to purchase molds, these would be just fine dipped as well (instructions here). You could also save some time on these by purchasing the large eyes, but I wanted to save a little on the cost (and I already had both white and black candy melts).

Want to know how to make these fun little monsters??? Here we go! (Printable recipe here)

INGREDIENTS:

One package of Double Stuf Oreos
2 12oz packages of Wilton Candy Melts (in purple)
1 12 oz package of Wilton Candy Melts (in white)
1 12 oz package of Wilton Candy Melts (in black- you will not need the entire bag)
24 Lollipop sticks

DIRECTIONS:

Slide a lollipop stick into each Oreo, making sure it doesn’t come out of the top.
Melt purple candy melts in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
Spoon about 1 tablespoon of melts into each mold cavity

Press an Oreo into each cavity, allowing melts to rise up along sides.
Spoon a little more of the candy melts on top, and tap on counter to get bubbles out and fill in along the sides. Note: if you have these clear molds, you can lift them up and check for any areas that might have bubbles or where the melts aren’t covering the Oreo, and use a toothpick to poke those out and allow the candy melts to fill in.
Allow candy melts to harden. I put these on a small cookie sheet and freeze them for about 5 minutes to speed up the process.
Turn the mold over and tap to release the covered Oreo.

For the eyes (if you do not purchase them), put some melted white candy melts into a zip-top bag and clip a corner.
Put some melted black candy melts into a bag as well, and clip a smaller corner.
On parchment or wax paper, squeeze the white candy melts out into a 3/4″ to 1″ circle.
Use the black candy melts to squeeze a pupil in the center of the white to create a big eyeball.
Allow your eyes to harden up.
Mix a little white into any leftover purple candy melts you have, to make lavender. Put this lighter purple into a zip-top bag and clip a corner.
Squeeze some lavender melts onto the top-middle of the Oreo pop and press an eye on top until the lighter purple squeezes out around the edges.
Pipe a little half-smile under the eye.
Allow everything to harden up.
Tie these up in cute little bags (I LOVE these ones because they fit a covered Oreo perfectly and leave room to tie a ribbon under it!) to make them last longer (they will last 4-6 weeks in tied bags) and ENJOY!!

My thoughts: These turned out exactly as I pictured them in my mind, and I love that they aren’t scary 🙂 Be creative with yours- maybe you need three eyes or a different color? However you decide to make them, I hope you enjoy the process and the results! ~r

Other monster-y recipes you might enjoy:

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Posted in Halloween, Kids recipes, oreo pops and tagged baking, chocolate covered oreos, dessert, food, Halloween dessert, Halloween Oreo Pop, Halloween party idea, monster cookies, monster halloween, Monster Oreo Pop, Oreo pop, oreo pops, recipe, recipes, spooky oreo. Bookmark the permalink.

Gum Ball Machine Oreo Pops

Posted on July 22, 2025 by Ruthanne

These fun little gum ball machines aren’t filled with gum balls, but with a yummy Oreo! Easy to make, these little treats are sure to bring smiles!

It’s no secret that we love to try new versions of Oreo Pops around here. In fact, the very first time I tried making cake pops (an utter, embarrassing failure), I had the thought… maybe I could put a cookie- like an Oreo- on a stick and dip it in chocolate instead! I searched the internet for an example of this and couldn’t find anyone else who’d tried it. Does this mean I invented the Oreo Pop? Maybe. Or I did a bad job on Google searching them! 🙂 In any case, from that day in 2012 on, we have turned all sorts of things into Oreo Pops! The sprinkles were the inspiration for these. Every time I used them, they reminded me of little gum balls! The basics of how to create an Oreo Pop live on in my original recipe. The only thing I have changed is a little freezer time to harden the stick in place before dipping.

Let’s make these! (printable recipe is found here)

INGREDIENTS:

One package of Double Stuf Oreos
2 (12oz.) bags of Wilton White Candy Melts
24 Lollipop sticks (I like the 6-8 inch ones)
Small, round sprinkles (for the gum balls)
Silver dragees (for top knob)
White heart sprinkles (Or you could use squares too- for the coin slot)
Dots Candy (for the stand)

DIRECTIONS: (to see pictures, refer to my original “how-to” post here)

Carefully twist apart all of the Oreo cookies.
Using one of the pop sticks, make an indentation in the white filling of each cookie.
On the rest of the sticks, slide one red Dots candy about an inch down the stick. Yes, it is sticky, and leaves a trail of red on the stick, but this part will go inside the Oreo.
Melt the Candy Melts in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring until completely melted and smooth.
Dip the end of one stick into the melted white chocolate, drizzle a little in the center of the white cookie filling and then gently press it into the indentation made, making sure that the Dots Candy is right up against the bottom of the cookie.
Place the top of the cookie back on and allow white chocolate to harden (5 minutes or so), cementing the cookie back together with a stick inside. (I like to place all the cookies on a small baking sheet and set them in the freezer for a few minutes to really firm them up before dipping)
Holding the stick, lower the entire Oreo into the bowl of melted white chocolate, spooning it over the top and sides to cover it completely, but being careful to not get too much on the Dots Candy.
Allow the excess chocolate to drain off, and slide the bottom of the cookie against the lip of the bowl to remove excess. Then, gently place the covered Oreo on a piece of parchment paper to harden.
Immediately (before the candy melts harden!), sprinkle the gum ball sprinkles on the bottom half of the Oreo pop, and set a dragee on the top.
Allow the pops to harden completely.
Use a little bit of the melted white candy melts to “glue” the heart sprinkle on the front of the Dots candy. Allow this to harden as well.
Eat and enjoy!!!

My thoughts: I love these little cuties! They make me smile. How fun would a mason jar of these be at a Birthday party?!? You can easily put a cello bag over each pop and tie them with a ribbon to share! I really hope you try these and enjoy them! ~r

Want to try some of our other Oreo Pops? We have a whopping TWENTY FOUR varieties on the blog- plus a couple of cute not-on-a-stick Oreo creations (scroll here to see them all)- but here are just four of my favorites (click on photo to see recipe):

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Posted in Cookies, Easy recipes, Kids recipes, oreo pops, Oreo pops and tagged baking, birthday party ideas, childrens party ideas, chocolate covered oreos, cookies, dessert, edible party favor ideas, gum ball dessert, gum ball oreo pop, Oreo pop, Oreo Pop ideas, oreos on a stick, party favor ideas, recipe, recipes. Bookmark the permalink.

Knafeh Cheesecake

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Ruthanne

A couple of years ago, while on a trip to Israel, we tried a popular Middle Eastern dessert called Knafeh (also spelled Kunafa). It is made with layers of thin, shredded pastry dough (called Kataifi), a delicious sweet cheese (called Nabulsi or Akkawi), honey or simple syrup, and pistachios. We were sitting in Jericho, the waiter brought us a complimentary piece of this, and the rest is history! I spent far too long reading up on the history of the dessert, finding a local store that sells the ingredients, and making it! (I also specifically visit middle eastern restaurants, looking for this. It’s THAT good!)

Earlier this week, I was thinking about Knafeh and began to wonder if cream cheese, in the form of a cheesecake, would be a good addition to this dessert, and this recipe was born!

Usually, the thin pastry (Kataifi) is wrapped around the cheese, baked or fried, topped with simple syrup and pistachios. So I made the crust of the Kataifi, added my very favorite cheesecake on top, and then topped the cheesecake with a giant pile of crunchy Kataifi, simple syrup and pistachios. YUM!

Want to try this? Here is the recipe: (printable recipe here)

INGREDIENTS:

For the crust:

8 oz. Kataifi (I find this frozen, in a 16 oz box, at our local Halal grocery)
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 Tablespoons sugar

For the cheesecake:

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar
3 (8 oz.) Philadelphia cream cheese bars (must be the Philadelphia brand)~ softened to room temperature.
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
pinch of salt

Sour cream cheesecake topping:

1 pint (2 cups) sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt

Crunchy Kataifi Topping:

Toasted Kataifi (made from original 8 ounces, used for crust)
Simple syrup (boil 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup sugar and cool)
chopped pistachios- to taste- I like a lot of them!

DIRECTIONS:

Crust:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees
Mix kataifi with butter and sugar in a bowl until well-coated, using clean fingers.
Grease an 8 or 9 inch springform pan, place a piece of parchment paper into bottom (cut into a circle to fit), grease the top of paper.
Press half of the kataifi mixture into the bottom of the pan.
Spread the other half of the kataifi out on parchment paper-covered cookie sheet.
Bake both items at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes (until lightly browned and crunchy)
Cool
Place loose kataifi into a ziptop bag to use as topping prior to serving.

Cheesecake:

Combine the sugar and softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat together until smooth.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition.
Add the vanilla, lemon juice and salt and beat until smooth and creamy.
Pour over crust.
Bake at 350F degrees for 35-45 minutes- I like to set the pan on a cookie sheet to prevent any leaks from getting on oven.
While cheesecake is baking, make sour cream topping by simply mixing together all of the sour cream topping ingredients.
After 35-45 minutes of baking, remove cheesecake from oven and turn oven down to 325F degrees.
Pour sour cream topping over hot cheesecake, gently spreading to edges.
Return cheesecake to oven and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes.
Remove cheesecake from oven and leave sides on pan while allowing cheesecake to cool to room temperature.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Crunchy Kataifi Topping: (add this just before serving)

Chop pistachios (as many as you like- I like LOTS!)
Make a simple syrup by boiling 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup sugar until it is combined, and the sugar is completely dissolved.
Spread crunchy kataifi all over the top of the cheesecake.
Drizzle with simple syrup (enough to add sweetness, but not so much that it gets soggy)
Sprinkle with pistachios
ENJOY!

My thoughts: This fusion of knafeh and cheesecake is delicious! Two of my favorite things all together in one dessert. I wanted to drizzle some melted chocolate over the top, for a little bit of that “Dubai Chocolate” feel, but I haven’t yet! We still have two pieces left though, so I’m planning to try it. The topping gets just a little less crispy as time goes by in the fridge. If you don’t plan to serve the whole cheesecake, you might keep the toppings separate and add them to each piece. I hope you enjoy trying this recipe! If you are a cheesecake purist, this cheesecake is amazing without all the extras. You can find it here.

Other international desserts to try here on Easybaked (click a photo to see the recipe):

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Posted in Cheesecakes and tagged baking, cheesecake, dessert, desserts, Dubai chocolate, international cheesecake, international foods, kataifi, Knafeh, Knafeh cheesecake, kunafa, middle eastern dessert, pistachio dessert, recipes, sour cream cheesecake. Bookmark the permalink.

Fall Peanut Butter Crisps

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Ruthanne

Fall Peanut Butter Crisps1

These beautiful fall cookies are special– not just because they are salty, sweet, crispy deliciousness– but because they use up your kids’ Halloween candy!!!!

So… Halloween is over, and you are likely in possession of more candy than you know what to do with. The chocolate will be gone in days, and then the name-brand candy will slowly get picked away at. But there are always those candies that sit in the bottom of the plastic pumpkin until Thanksgiving. For me, those candies were always Bit-o-Honey and the bright orange and black-wrapped “Peanut Butter Kisses“. These are a candy that only seems to make an appearance at Halloween. A combination of taffy and peanut butter, they just always seem to make the left-over candy list.

But not any more!!! Go ahead, dig through all of that Halloween candy and pull these little guys out- they make the best filling for these beautiful cookies!

Fall Peanut Butter Crisps2

You can also grab other candies to fill these cookies with- rolos, kisses, peppermint patties, mini snickers… all work in this recipe! I actually began making these crisp cookies with Rolos about 5 years ago at Christmas.

Fall Peanut Butter Crisps5

Want the recipe? Here it is!! (printable version)

Ingredients: (makes 20 cookies)

40 Ritz crackers
20 Peanut Butter Kisses (or other small candy that melts at a low temperature)
1 bag of Wilton’s dark chocolate candy melts
1 chocolate transfer sheet (I used 12×16″, and I got mine here).

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Place 20 Ritz crackers on a cookie sheet, bottoms up.
Unwrap all 20 peanut butter kisses, and set one on each Ritz cracker.
Place cookie sheet in oven for about 4-5 minutes- check! Candy should be soft but not completely melted.
Remove from oven, and place Ritz cracker, bottom side down, on top of candy and press to spread candy to edge.

Place entire tray in freezer to chill for a few minutes.
Melt chocolate candy melts in a bowl in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes, stirring once every 30 seconds, until completely melted and smooth.
Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet (that fits in your freezer!)
Cut chocolate transfer sheet into 20 squares.
Take a cookie, place it in the melted chocolate and cover it completely. Use a fork to pick it up and tap on the side of the bowl until all excess chocolate drips off the bottom. Slide bottom along edge of bowl, and using fork, slide onto parchment paper.

Immediately place chocolate transfer sheet square on top of the melted chocolate (you’ll need to put the rough side down- the smooth side up) and gently press it into contact with the entire top of the cookie. Repeat 20 times.

Place entire cookie sheet into the freezer for 5 minutes or so. As soon as you remove it, gently peel off the transfer sheet from each cookie- and enjoy!!!

How-to-crisps8

My thoughts: There are three things that I love about these cookies…

They are EASY to make- they take almost no time but look so fancy!
They are CHEAP to make- the Ritz crackers and peanut butter candies are really inexpensive (I got mine at the Dollar Store), the chocolate isn’t too costly, and the transfer sheet is like $4.40, but SO worth it! (you could use sprinkles instead, to cut the cost even more though!)
They keep for a long time. Put these little guys in cello bags, tie them up, and use them to decorate your place settings at Thanksgiving!

They also can use a variety of candies up- and you can decorate them so many fun ways!

Fall Peanut Butter Crisps3

Go – find your kids’ candy and re-purpose it into these beautiful, crunchy, deliciously salty but sweet treats!

Need other ideas for using up that Halloween candy? This is a project we have a few ideas for! Click on a photo to see the recipe.

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Posted in Candy, Cookies, Seasonal dessert and tagged baking, chocolate, chocolate cookies, chocolate transfer ideas, cookies, dessert, easy cookie recipe, fall cookies, halloween cookies, peanut butter cookies, recipe to use up halloween candy, ritz cracker cookies, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving cookies, thanksgiving gift idea. Bookmark the permalink.

A Cut-out Cookie Collection!

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Ruthanne

It’s nearly Christmas, and those cute bells, stars and tree cookie cutters are begging to be used! This post is dedicated to our favorite cut-out cookie recipes featured here on Easybaked. We have everything from gingerbread to mocha, simple sugar cookies to international favorites! Make this year’s cookies your best yet!

Let’s start with the family favorite. My mom’s thick and cake-like cutout cookie recipe features a hint of cinnamon flavor and is truly a part of our Christmas (and Easter, and 4th of July, and back-to-school and GO PACKERS!) traditions. These are easy, and freeze well- so you can make them ahead. Go ahead and click on that photo to see the recipe.

Next, is my personal favorite: GINGERBREAD! These, too, have been a part of our family Christmas traditions. This recipe is my grandmother’s, and she faithfully made them every year, cut them as Christmas trees and decorated them with red-hots! Click on the photo to see her oh-so-yummy recipe!

Similar to gingerbread are my Pumpkin Spice Cookies. These are sweeter and bake very flat and easy to decorate.

Chocolate cut-out cookies that taste like the richest brownie but roll out and cut like a dream? Yes, please! I love how the frosting colors really stand out on that dark chocolate! These chocolate cut-outs have been in our family awhile too- but as drop cookies that I tweaked to make cut-outs. Click the photo to see this delicious recipe:

That chocolate cut-out recipe is so yummy that I experimented a little more with it to create a chocolate espresso cut out cookie and…oh my…one of my favorites!

I’ve spent some time overseas and discovered a wonderful dessert in Prague called Medovnic. Then I found these wonderful little honey-filled cut out cookies called Medovniky that are often made at Christmas. I made them for autumn, but they are a delicious flavor for any season!!

Speaking of international cookies, these Alfajores from Peru add a totally unique (and deliciously caramel-filled) flavor to the holidays.

When it comes to cut-out cookies, the cookie cutters make all the difference! I absolutely LOVE the look created by Linzer cookie cutters. Typically they are layered with a fruit filling, but I just used colored frosting and you have beautiful cookies with very little fancy frosting technique!

One other thing you’ll need are some good frosting recipes, which I’ve compiled right here in a post called: Frostings, fillings and fun!

I hope that these recipes inspire fun-filled cookie making times with your family this season.

Merry Christmas!

12/19/14: On a personal note: I blog my recipes ahead, and I prepared this post and my next one (very fun New Years cookies) several weeks ago. Since that time, my mom has been diagnosed with very, very aggressive cancer and admitted to Hospice. I just wanted to ask for all of you who have followed this little blog and enjoyed these recipes to keep our family in your prayers as we say good bye to her this Christmas. After next week’s post (which is already scheduled), I will probably take a little break from sharing recipes here. Many thanks, friends! ~r

(My personal and ministry blog is at: www.thenavajojourney.com, if you want to keep up with me there.)

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Posted in Cookies and tagged alfajores, baking, chocolate cut-out cookie recipe, christmas, Christmas cookies, collection of cookies, cookie cutters, cookies, cut-out cookie recipes, cutout cookie recipe, frostings, fun, gingerbread cookie recipe, holidays, recipe, recipes, sugar cookie recipe, sugar cookies. Bookmark the permalink.

Creepy Earthworm Cupcakes

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Ruthanne

These fun little cupcakes will entertain your family and friends with slimy (raspberry!) earthworms poking out of the top!

Well, it’s October, and that means it is time for creatively creepy edibles! Last year I had SO much fun with my Broken Glass Cupcakes and my Toxic Slime Cupcakes! Oh my goodness, I love both of those recipes so much that it was hard to think of anything that fun and creepy for this year!!!

I loved the idea of worm-filled cupcakes and decided that gummy worms are way too cheery, with all their fun bright colors. I wanted WORMS- big fat earthworms- in my cupcakes.

I’m not sure why these are not readily available for purchase in the candy aisle of my grocery store, but fortunately I found a TON of recipes for make-your-own gummy earthworms online. I read about 10 recipes (they were all very similar) and gave it a shot.

I love them!!!! I had a hard time biting into one to try out the flavor because they were so realistic! These are really not very hard to make, and I can think of a TON of desserts these would be fun to serve with. These are even Father’s Day friendly (I realized this when the men who were eating the cupcakes started talking about fishing with earthworms…) or maybe you could “dress up” my apple cupcakes from last week with a few worms! 🙂

Here’s how to make these fun little desserts: (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

1 boxed chocolate cake mix (plus water, oil and eggs to make according to package)
2 sticks (1 cup) of butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of vanilla
Green sugar crystals
About 15 Oreo cookies crushed into crumbs
brown and green food color gels
1 (6 oz) packet of raspberry jello
4 (1/2 oz) packets of unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 cups boiling water

DIRECTIONS:

WORMS: (make the day before)

Take about 40-60 bendable plastic straws and pull them out to full length.
Place them each in a tall glass with the bendable part down.
Put a rubber band around the top to hold them together and upright.
Mix jello and unflavored gelatin together in a mixing bowl and add boiling water.
Stir until dissolved and refrigerate for about 20 minutes until cooled.
Place cream and a little bit of green food coloring in a separate bowl and mix well.
Mix cream with gelatin mixture until well combined.
Gently pour the mixture over the tops of the straws until they, and the glass are full.
Refrigerate overnight.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet, and lightly spray it with cooking spray.
Run warm water over the glass until you can pull the entire jello mold out (straws and all!)
Gently pull apart straws and use a rolling pin to roll each little worm out.
Place each worm on the parchment paper until all of them have been removed from the straws.
Keep covered and refrigerated until use.

CUPCAKES:

Make cake mix according to box and divide evenly among 24 cupcake liners placed in tins.
Bake according to package, and allow them to cool.
Make frosting by placing butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beating it on high for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Color frosting using a combination of green and brown to make a clay-like color for inside the cupcakes
Use a cupcake corer or a small knife to cut a core out of each cupcake.
Pour green sugar into a small bowl.
Use a knife to spread a thin layer of frosting on the top of each cupcake, around the hole cut out by the corer.
Turn the cupcake top down into the green sugar, coating the frosting entirely.
Spoon or pipe a small amount of frosting into each cored cupcake.
Set a worm into the frosting, letting it “stick” and be held in place.
Spoon Oreo crumbs over the worm and frosting, filling up the rest of the hole in the cupcake.
Keep refrigerated until serving.
Enjoy!!

My thoughts: These crack me up. Everyone loves them, but kids are SO suspicious that you might have used real worms! One of my friends gave some to her grandkids and the oldest just sat and stared at hers and finally declared, “I saw one move!” They are disturbingly life-like. These are great covered in the fridge for a day, but at room temperature the worms start to dry out after a few hours. I hope you get a chance to try this creepy little treat! Enjoy!!! ~r

Other creepy recipes for your October fun: (click on a photo to see the recipe)

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Posted in Cupcakes and tagged baking, chocolate, cupcakes, dessert, frosting, fun, gummy worms, Halloween, halloween dessert ideas, how to make gummy earthworms, Oreo dirt, party, recipe, sugar, unique, worms. Bookmark the permalink.

Pancake and Bacon Cupcakes!!!

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Ruthanne

These sweet maple pancake flavored cupcakes are topped with syrup-coated bacon and real mini-pancakes. The only question remaining is, will you eat them for breakfast???

My answer to that question is a resounding YES, I will eat them for breakfast, and any other time of the day too!

Did you know that today is National Pancake Lovers Day??? There is no better way I know of to celebrate pancakes than by making these! [Plus, Monday is National Coffee Day, and believe me these go GREAT with coffee!]

These cupcakes were a complete experiment, and when they came out of the oven and I tentatively tasted one, I smiled. They taste like pancakes- they really do! Here’s how we made them: (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

Cupcakes:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup butter, melted
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup maple syrup (I didn’t use the real stuff– too expensive!)

Frosting and toppings:

2 sticks (1 cup) of salted butter, softened
2 sticks (1 cup) of unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla
8 pieces of bacon, cooked until very crisp
1/4 cup of maple syrup
Pancake batter- enough for about 50 mini pancakes (I used the add water and shake Bisquick bottle, and it took about 2 cups of batter to make these up.

DIRECTIONS:

Cupcakes:

Combine all dry ingredients and mix in medium bowl
In large bowl, whisk eggs, whipping cream and vanilla together, add melted butter slowly while whisking.
Alternately add dry ingredients and syrup to the egg mixture, whisking until thick and smooth.
Scoop evenly into 18-20 cupcake liners placed in muffin tins. Don’t overfill!
Bake at 350F degrees for 14-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove cupcakes from tin and allow them to cool completely.

Frosting and toppings:

Crumble bacon into small pieces and toss with maple syrup until completely coated.
Make mini pancakes on a hot griddle by using a small spoon and making just a tiny circle of batter. Let these cool on a piece of parchment paper.
Make frosting by placing butters, powdered sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beating on high for 3-4 minutes until very light and fluffy.
Place frosting into a large zip top bag that has a decorating tip fitted into one corner.
Pipe a circle of icing around the edge of the cupcake.
Sprinkle with bacon.
Place pancakes on top, using a small amount of frosting to stick them together into a stack.
Add a dollop of frosting on top and add sprinkles or a red “cherry” sixlet, like mine.
ENJOY!!!!

Pancake Cupcakes!!! My thoughts: These are really good. The sweet cupcake with that salty bacon….yum! I was a little skeptical about the bacon, but it really adds a wonderful flavor to these! If you are short on time, skip the mini pancakes on top and just frost these and sprinkle them with bacon. You could even use a bottle of those real bacon bits, but I suspect that the freshly cooked bacon tastes best. Happy Pancake Day to YOU!!! Enjoy!! ~r

Other treats that you “could” eat for breakfast:

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Posted in Cupcakes and tagged bacon, baking, best, breakfast, buttercream, cupcakes, dessert, fun, idea, maple, maple syrup, pancake, recipe, salty, sweet, syrup, unique. Bookmark the permalink.

Caramel Gelato with Gingerbread Spoons

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Ruthanne

This creamy frozen caramel dessert is perfect when it is eaten with a spicy gingerbread cookie spoon. Does dessert get much more fun than this?!?

This recipe has a story. I was flying home to Michigan for a wedding when I saw the most amazing dessert in one of those in-flight magazines. It was some sort of mousse with a COOKIE SPOON in it. I stared at it and thought….and wondered if spoon cookie cutters exist (they do), and I decided right then that I would make something caramel with gingerbread spoons.

Something caramel…..something sweet and rich. About a week later, I saw this post on Foodgawker and the words, “Three ingredients. No churn. No machine. No whipping cream. It’s magic.” swirled in my head. Sour cream, Sweetened condensed milk, Vanilla. No machine.

What if I added Dulce de Leche instead of the sweetened condensed milk? I had to try it. I felt like I was surely wasting a container of sour cream when I mixed this up….but then…. creamy, cold caramel deliciousness. It is magic. You need to try this!

Here’s how: (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

Caramel Gelato:

1 1/2 cups of sour cream (use full-fat)
1 can (13.4 oz.) of La Lechera Dulce de Leche (now….imagine coconut cream in this recipe….!)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Cookie Spoons:

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup dark molasses
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves

DIRECTIONS:

Caramel Gelato:

Mix all ingredients together well, spread into a freezer safe bowl and cover tightly.
Freeze overnight.
Allow gelato to warm a little before serving.

Gingerbread Cookie Spoons:

Cream together butter and sugar.
Beat in egg, molasses and vinegar.
Blend in sifted dry ingredients.
Chill 2-3 hours (this is important– the dough is very easy to roll after chilling)
Roll 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch thick on a floured counter or board and cut into spoon shapes, using a cookie cutter, and place on greased cookie sheets.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. Check often- take out when cookies have risen and are easily removed from sheet.

My thoughts: This caramel desert is unbelievably creamy and rich. I pictured 2 scoops in my photos, but I would serve just one. It is almost like frozen custard- so heavy and rich. The caramel flavor is amazing though! Amazing. The cookies are so delicious with the caramel. They are hard to actually use as spoons until the frozen caramel warms a bit. I love this flavor combination! I hope you get a chance to try it! Enjoy!!! ~r