Desserts

Homemade Magic Shell

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Not that I’m a huge fan of Magic Shell, but I have to admit the coolness of instant-hardening chocolate sauce is pretty hard to resist.  The kids think this is pretty awesome.  And truth be told, so do I.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Place coconut oil and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and cook on HI for 1 minute.  Allow the bowl to set for just a minute or two so the hot oil can melt the chips.  Stir well with a whisk.
2.  Pour sauce over ice cream servings!

Notes:

  • Coconut oil is a solid at room temperature so look for a jar of it, not a bottle.  The brand I bought is Spectrum.
  • Store your leftover sauce in something that you can microwave later.  It helps to have a bottle that is microwave safe so you can pour easily, but you don’t have to.  We just spooned it on.
  • Store in the fridge.  To use, reheat in microwave at 30 second intervals until it’s liquid again.
Source:  alphamom.com, who has way cooler photos than I do

Butter Brickle Bars

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Yet another I don’t make very often because I can’t leave them alone. My mom made some of these for my wedding reception and though not a true “freezer item” it froze pretty well. Maybe that’s what I should do to “ration them out” for myself.

Butter Brickle Bars
1 box graham crackers
1 stick butter
1 stick margarine
1/2 c. sugar
Slivered or sliced almonds (I usually use slivered-almonds are not pictured above)
milk chocolate chips (can also use milk chocolate melting wafers)

1-Break graham crackers on lines to get 58 rectangles.
2-Lay rectangles on a greased pan.
3-Bring butter, margarine, and sugar to an easy boil.
4-Boil for 3 minutes.
5-Spoon the mixture over the rectangles.
6-Sprinkle sliced almonds on top
7-Bake at 350 for 10+ minutes.
8-Separate bars.
9-Put bars on aluminum foil.
10-Melt chocolate chips and drizzle over top of bars.

Source: Lollita Riley

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

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Mr. Blue Eyes (yes, my husband cooks!–Thankfully!) and I made these earlier this month for my birthday. They. were. DELISH! You must try them! The frosting was a little complicated for us, being our first time using a meringue-type, but it was worth it! I don’t generally care for frosting. I’m the weirdo at all the parties who scrapes the frosting off the cake to eat it plain. But I’m telling you I REALLY liked this frosting. Very light. Truly worth every minute!

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:
18 Paper Cupcake Liners (plus a few extra…we needed them)
1 1/2 Cups all-purpose Flour
1/2 Cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder (we used Hersey’s Cocoa Powder)
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp, cut into small pieces
1 1/3 Cups Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
1 Cup Milk, at room temp
*3/4 – 1 Cup Fresh Raspberries (or frozen, thawed and well drained)–OPTIONAL

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper liners in all wells of Cupcake Tins (we used one 12 cup tin, and one 6 cup tin.)

2. In a small bowl, sift together Flour, Cocoa Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt. Set aside.

3. In a Large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy–about 2 minutes. (We used our Kitchen Aide for this.) Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Be sure to scrape the bowl once or twice. Beat in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time until they are each mixed in well.

4. Alternating about 4 times, mix in the flour mixture and the milk. Beat briefly between each add-in to make sure it’s well incorporated and the batter is smooth.

5. If you’re using Raspberries, this is where you fold them into the batter. We only did 3/4 Cup, but next time I think we’ll do a full 1 cup.

6. Divide batter evenly among the cupcake wells. Bake for 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center shows a few moist crumbs.

7. Cool on racks for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes to cooling racks to cool completely.

Italian Meringue Butter Cream Frosting

Ingredients:
Scant 2/3 Cup, plus 3 Tbsp Sugar
1/4 Cup water
4 Large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 Cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp, cut into small pieces
*3/4 Cup Raspberries (OPTIONAL)

1. Place 2/3 Cup Sugar and the water in a small saucepan. Stir to wet the sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Dip pastry brush in cold water and wash down the sugar crystals from the sides of the pot once or twice. Turn down the heat to simmer gently.

2. Place the egg whites in a clean, grease-free mixing bowl and whip until frothy on low speed using balloon whip attachment to your standing mixer. Add cream of tartar and turn speed to medium-high. When soft peaks form add remaining 3 Tablespoons sugar gradually. (This is the meringue part of the butter-cream, and the frosting may be used at this point for low-fat, marshmallow-like frosting; it must be used immediately.)

3. Bring the sugar-water mixture to a rapid boil and cook until it reaches 248 – 250 degrees F. (We don’t have a thermometer *GASP!* and so the following directions were vital.) As syrup cooks, look for visual clues to assess temperature. It starts out thin with many small bubbles over the surface. The water will begin to evaporate and the mixture will become thicker. The bubbles get larger and sticky and pop more slowly. At this point the syrup looks thickened, but it has not begun to color. If you drop a bit of the syrup into a glass of cold water it will form into a ball. This is the firm-ball stage, and the syrup is ready.

4. Pour a thin, steady stream over meringue, without pouring any on the rotating whip or the sides of the bowl. (Be quick! We didn’t do it fast enough and had to make the syrup a 2nd time.) Whip meringue on high speed until cool. When the bowl is no longer warm, stop the machine and touch the surface of the meringue with your finger to check that it is cooled. With mixer on medium speed, add the butter, a couple Tablespoons at a time. Keep beating until the buttercream is completely smooth. It is now ready to use. Any flavorings or variations can be added at this time.

5. This is where you beat the raspberries into the frosting. Just keep the beater going and add the berries. The buttercream will turn pink and you will see bits of fruit (YUM!) suspended here and there. (Beautiful!)

6. Frost cupcakes smoothly using an icing spatula or a spoon. Top with garnish, candles, or whatever you prefer!

*You don’t have to use Raspberries. Use the cupcake and frosting recipes as is, or with your own variation. That’s what I love about these recipes! Make them your own.

Yield: The recipe says 18 cupcakes, but we got 18 big cupcakes + 10 small ones, and we weren’t skimpy when filling either!

Notes:
     ~Like I said before, the frosting was a little more difficult than we expected and we had a few hiccoughs in the procedure. Mr. Blue Eyes was in charge of the syrup, while I did the meringue. Having four hands worked well for us first-timers.

Source: A Baker’s Field Guide to Cupcakes: By Dede Wilson

~Kara

One-Ingredient Cinnamon Roll Waffles (and our FIRST GIVEAWAY!!)

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Okay, I know this is a really easy recipe since you don’t have to actually make anything.  But when I saw it on Pinterest I just had to try it.  You see, I love to have supplies on hand for emergency meals.  You know, when you don’t have time to cook but don’t want to get junky fast food or when someone comes over for a meal unexpectedly…..it’s nice to have a few quick-fix meals on hand.  THIS is an amazing quick-fixer.  In fact, I think this would be a fantastic Christmas morning breakfast.  I love cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, but who has time to make those amidst all the other goings-on?

 

Couldn’t be easier!

Ingredient:
refrigerated, uncooked Cinnamon Rolls

1. Place one roll on each square or section of your waffle iron.  Close the lid and cook until the done (when they don’t wiggle when you press on them).
2.  Drizzle with the icing that came with them (or make your own).

DONE!!  Seriously…is that not amazing?  They taste really good too.  I bought two packages (8 rolls in each can) and that wasn’t enough for my family.  Next time I’d do 3-4 packages.  They cook up so quickly that they would be great for a family get-together.  They’re not very big, so they look like baby waffles.  Great for a brunch!  Oh, and by the way, you can also use any other refrigerated sweet roll or biscuit.  I think I need to try Orange Roll Waffles next…….<drool>

One serving is 2-4 rolls, depending

Oh my.

Source:  A Hen’s Nest

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

And now, what you have been waiting for:  The giveaway!  

To celebrate Christmas, the Mormon Mavens are hosting a great giveaway from Pampered Chef consultant Heather Lima.  Heather has graciously agreed to offer some great Pampered Chef products that are sure to help you with your holiday baking!

Get on with it, you say? Okay, okay…..here’s what Heather is giving away to ONE lucky Mormon Mavens reader:

 

  • one set of Bamboo Prep towels–soft, plush, and absorbent towels; 22″ x 14″; machine washable and made from renewabale/sustainable bamboo; sells for $17.50
  • a set of Easy Read Measuring Cups–so great for measuring liquids (no more bending over and looking sideways);  standard and metric measures that you can read from above, flared rims prevent drips; set of 3 cups–1-cup, 2-cup, and 4-cup;  microwave- and dishwasher-safe; sells for $23
 
I don’t know about you, but I am drooling over those measuring cups!
 
Interested?  Yeah.  We thought you would be.  
 
Here are the details:
  • You can have up to 5 entries.
  • Continental U.S. residents only (sorry!).
  • YOU MUST LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY.  Leaving one comment with all your stuff in it counts as one entry!!
  • Giveaway will run from Monday, December 12 through Friday, December 16.
  • Winner will be announced on Saturday, December 17. (If we can get your address before Monday, we can get these goodies shipped to you by Christmas Eve!)
  • You MUST include your email address in each entry you submit so that we have a way of contacting you if you win!
  • Entries that don’t meet the above requirements will not be considered.
  • Winner will be chosen using random.org.
 
Here’s how you can enter:
 
MANDATORY ENTRY:  Send an email to Heather at heather_lima@yahoo.com and request a subscription to her Pampered Chef newsletter, then come back here and leave a comment telling us that you did so.  (make sure and tell her your first name so she knows how to greet you in your newsletter)
 
OPTIONAL ENTRIES:  
  • Be a follower of the Mormon Mavens in the Kitchen (and leave a separate comment telling us that you are).
  • “Like” Heather’s Pampered Chef page on Facebook (and then come back here and leave a separate comment here telling us that you did).
  • Leave a comment on Heather’s Pampered Chef page on Facebook telling her what Pampered Chef product you wish was under the Christmas tree for you (and then come back here and leave a separate comment here telling us that you did)!
  • Leave your contact info for Heather on her “Contact Me” page (and then come back here leave a separate comment here telling us that you did).
Good luck, everyone!  And MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
 

 

Pineapple Casserole

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I’m going to go ahead and prepare you-this is an odd combination of ingredients. In fact, when I was told about it and told what was in it, the only reason that I even tried it was so that I wouldn’t hurt the person’s feelings. Boy was I surprised! It was good.

Pineapple Casserole

2 large cans pineapple tidbits
(1 can drained, 1 can not drained)
2 cups grated cheese
6 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
Ritz Crackers (about 30), crumbled
1 Stick butter or margarine, melted

1-Mix together the pineapple, grated cheese, flour, and sugar.
2-Put into a greased 9×13 pan.
3-Mix the crumbled Ritz crackers with the melted butter.
4-Cover pineapple mixture with the Ritz mixture.
5-Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

*Don’t over-bake-the pineapple will get mushy.

Source: Patti Branham

best served warm.
don’t overcook it or the pineapple will get too mushy.

Peanut Butter Balls

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No fancy intro here. I just have to say that these are awesome!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (it’s best to use a name brand such as Jif)
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Melting Chocolate (I use the 70z. container of Baker’s Dipping Chocolate)
Plastic wrap

1. Cream together peanut butter and butter until smooth.
2. Add powdered sugar and beat slowly until incorporated.
3. Spread peanut butter mixture on to plastic wrap, a layer about 1 inch thick. Cover with a second layer of plastic wrap and refriderate atleast 4 hours.
4. When firm, use a knife to cut flattened mixture into 1 inch squares. Quickly roll each square into a ball.
5. Place shaped balls on a cookie sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Insert a toothpick into each and place in freezer until very firm.
6. Dip frozen peanut butter balls into melted chocolate. Allow chocolate to harden at room temperature or in the fridge if you just can’t wait!

*It’s best to try and roll peanut butter balls when they are very cold. If they become too messy, allow to chill longer and dust your hands with powdered sugar.
**You may as well double or triple this recipe. Take my word for it.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

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My husband LOVES anything mint and chocolate.  So I recently made this for him from The Ice Cream Deck.  It was a big hit, especially with Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce.  Hot fudge would also be great and be lend a little more sweetness.  It was a little strong for me, so next time I’ll use half the peppermint extract (1 tsp instead of 2).  I also think I might try semisweet chocolate in place of bittersweet, just for fun.

Ingredients:
2 cups half-and-half
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1-2 tsp. peppermint extract
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, grated or chopped

1.  Prepare a large bowl or pan with ice water.  This will be used as an ice bath for the custard you make.  The depth of this ice bath should be about half the depth of your double boiler.
2.  In the top of your double boiler, heat the half-and-half over simmering water until steaming.  Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl until blended, then whisk in the sugar.  Whisk some of the steaming half-and-half into the egg mixture.  Then pour the whole thing into the double boiler.
3.  Stir and cook over the simmering water until the mixture forms a custard and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and place the top of your double boiler in the ice bath.  Stir occasionally until it cools to room temperature.
4.  Strain into a container and stir in the cream and the extract.  Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
5.  Freeze according to ice cream maker instructions.  When almost frozen, add the chopped or grated chocolate and allow to churn until it’s mixed in well (about 15 seconds).
6.  Transfer to a container and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

Makes about 1 quart of ice cream.

Source:  The Ice Cream Deck

Boyd’s Famous Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

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OK, so maybe these cookies aren’t famous. But they should be!  We eat them all year round, but during the fall they especially hit the spot!



Ingredients:
2 C pureed pumpkin (or one 15 oz can–That’s what we use.)
2/3 – 3/4 C Vegetable Oil (I use closer to 2/3 C)
2 tsp Cinnamon
4 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Baking Soda (“Baking Powder AND Soda?” you say? Don’t ask me; IT WORKS!)
2 C Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Vanilla
4 Cups Flour
2 Cups Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Walnuts (opt)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a stand mixer, add ALL ingredients, one by one, and mix on Medium speed until fully incorporated. Really. That’s all you do.
3. Drop heaping spoonfuls 1 – 2 Inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until springy to the touch.
5. Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a rack or some such device–we use a cheesecloth on our counter.

DELISH!

Source: By AWESOME Father-in-Law, Boyd.

~Kara

Semi-homemade Caramel Apples

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I love caramel apples, like REALLY love them. I’ve never made them, but decided that this was the year. It was so easy and fun. It’ll definitely become a yearly tradition in our home.

Ingredients Needed:
– Apples, make sure they are really cold. 
– Kraft Caramel bits (one bag per 5 apples)
– 2 Tbsp. milk per bag of caramels
– Popsicle sticks
– White chocolate chips (I used Nestles)
– Bittersweet chocolate chips (I used Nestles)
– 1 Tbsp. of Shortening per cup of melted chocolate
– Cinnamon sugar

In just a few steps, you  can have chocolate-shop worthy caramel apples.

First, CLEAN your apples. My apples came from the grocery store – which means tons of wax and who knows what chemicals.

 I use a fruit/veggie wash to rid my produce of the gunk that’s on them at the store. I highly recommend this brand. I get it at Trader Joe’s.  Nice scrub with this wash, and it’s completely noticeable that a lot of the wax is washed away.

Once the apples are washed, make sure they become completely dry. Caramel will not stick to wet apples! While drying – stick them back in the fridge to make sure they are extra cold.

While the apples are drying empty the bag of caramels into a pot on the stove. Add 2 Tbs. of milk per bag of caramels. Cook on medium-low. Stir often. Do not allow your caramel to boil. (it’ll take a while to melt)

Once the caramel is melted transfer to a smaller container. I used a glass 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Doing this will make it easier to get the caramel higher on the apple.

Once you have the craft sticks stuck in your apples… dip your apples! Shake off excess caramel, use a butter knife to scrape it off the bottom. You don’t want too heavy of a coat. Transfer to either wax paper or a greased cookie sheet.

Let the caramel set.

 While the caramel is setting melt your chocolate (and shortening) in either a double boiler or in the microwave. I used the microwave. Cook it 30 seconds at a time, stir. Transfer white chocolate to a smaller container for dipping.

For an Apple Pie style caramel apple – dip the caramel apple in white chocolate, scrape of excess. Then while chocolate is still wet – shake cinnamon sugar on the chocolate.

For a Chocolate Lover’s Apple, transfer white and bittersweet chocolate to plastic bags. Cut a TINY corner off and drizzle the chocolate over the apple.

Let the apples completely cool and set in the fridge. I allowed them to set overnight.

Then… most importantly…. ENJOY! These are great neighbor gifts. I wrapped each apple up in cellophane wrap and tied them with a ribbon. Make sure to chill them until you deliver or eat them.

And please…. use a knife to cut into them! Save your precious teeth!! I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!!

Apple Cobbler

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Back in 1992 we moved from Winterville to Wilson, NC so that Mike wouldn’t have a 45 minute commute to work before the crack of dawn.  We had the most wonderful real estate agent helping us find a home.  Talk about service after the sale!  We moved into our  home in the summer and come Fall she brought several beautiful mums for me to put on my front steps.  Not long after that, she brought me the best apple cobbler I have ever had–she had made several for a church function and just thought I would like one–oh yeah!.  I called her and got the recipe and have used it all these years as a go-to, quick, yummy dessert for when I am in a hurry or when the family begs for this dish.  Sometimes I call this Apple Crisp, but Bea Newton–my realtor and friend–calls it a cobbler.  Whatever you call it, I call it scrumptious!  You will probably have everything on hand except maybe the apples.  Go out right now and buy some Fujis or Galas or Honeycrisps.  Just make this and enjoy!  And if you are ever in Wilson, run over to First Wilson Properties and say hey to Bea for me, if she hasn’t retired or isn’t on one of her many mission trips to a Third World country.  What a lady!

INGREDIENTS:
4 large apples, peeled and sliced
Cinnamon, to taste
Brown sugar, to taste
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted

1.  Preheat oven to 375.
2.  Spray a 9×13 (or square) pan with cooking spray.  Add the apples and sprinkle generously with cinnamon and brown sugar (I get pretty heavy-handed here).
3.  Combine sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl–this will be your crust.  Break the egg into this mixture and stir with a fork until crumbly.  Stir in nuts.
4.  Sprinkle crust mixture on top of apples.  Pour melted butter over crust.
5.  Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

SOURCE:  Bea Newton, realtor extraordinaire!