Apple Crisp

Apple's are healthy, right?

This a quick and simple dessert recipe. I had two apples and didn't want them to go bad so I looked up this recipe from The Neely's. I already had all the ingredients in my pantry so I went for it!

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

Filling:

5 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, chopped small

1/4 cup finely shopped pecans

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Topping:

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into pieces

1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For the Filling:

Mix all the ingredients together. Place into 7 to 8 ounce ramekins.

For the topping:

Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Blend the butter into the mixture until it forms pea size lumps. Stir in pecans and sprinkle over filling.

Bake crisps for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

I haven't blogged in forever! 

Can't wait to post the other recipe's I've been doing this summer:)

Happy SUMMER!

Countdown to 2011..

Santa spoiled me this year.. He always does!

I hope you had a wonderful time celebrating with your loved ones.

This year I had Christmas Eve at our place and then we went over to the King's for Christmas Day.

 I ate SO MUCH food!

You would think I would have taken more pictures but I was still trying to figure out my camera :/

Thanks babe! 

My tree after opening up all our presents!

Santa stopped by! He was hungry:)

Christmas day at the King's! (pictured below)

I was in charge of bringing dessert.. I made Paula Dean's Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Cake:

1 (18 1/4 ounce) package yellow cake mix

1 egg

8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

8 tbsp. butter, melted

1 (16 ounce) box powdered sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Combine cake mix, egg and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 x 9 baking pan.

To make filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream. (A MUST!)

Hope you have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Thanksgiving

I survived Thanksgiving!!

It was a busy, busy week but SO worth it!

Thanksgiving menu:

Turkey

Stuffing

Green bean casserole

Pumpkin Spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

I made my first turkey this year for my church Thanksgiving food drive and it turned out delicious. In fact I bought another turkey yesterday so we can have some for the week :)

About to butter up my my turkey.. Isn't he cute??

Simple Stuffing: Box of stuffing, 1 apple (I use granny smith), cranberries, 1 chopped onion, chopped celery, and 1 chopped carrot.. so simple

Pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting 

MMMMMMMM..

Cream cheese frosting


2 packages of cream cheese frosting
1/2 cup of butter softened
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in vanilla, then gradually and confectioners sugar.

Thank goodness for my cupcake carrier my hunny got me last year. It's awesome!

You can take out the three levels and use it for cake too!

I'm thankful for my family, friends, boyfriend and dog Mia :)

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Banana bread with Amaretto

My intentions were to eat the banana's before they started to get brown but that didn't happen..

In fact they were black. So instead I made banana bread!

Until this day I always see brown bananas on my grandma's kitchen counter. She loves banana bread and says "the browner the better." I felt weird using these black bananas but it turned out sooo good.

I got the recipe from Annie's Eats.

BANANA BREAD

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

6 large, very ripe bananas (about 2¼ lbs.), peeled

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 large eggs

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. granulated sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Lightly spray a loaf pan (about 9 x 5 inches) with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt; whisk together and set aside.

Place 5 bananas in a microwave safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and make several slits in the wrap to act as steam vents. Microwave on high until the bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bananas to a fine mesh strainer set over a medium bowl and let drain, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes (you should have ½-¾ cup liquid).

Transfer the reserved banana liquid to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to about ¼ cup, 5-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. In a large bowl, combine the bananas and the reduced banana liquid. Mash with a potato masher or whisk until fairly smooth. Whisk in the melted butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla. I ADDED 1/4 CUP OF AMARETTO :) Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the banana mixture. Fold together gently, just until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula.

Slice the remaining banana diagonally into ¼-inch thick slices. Layer the banana slices along both sides of the top of the batter, leaving a couple of inches in the center to allow an even rise. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the assembled loaf.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55-75 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool at least 15 minutes in the pan before removing. Continue to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

If you have a different recipe PLEASE SHARE....

ENJOY!

Pineapple cupcakes with Mango frosting

Who knew something so pretty started with the mess below:)

This picture should explain the day I was having..

Cake batter ALL OVER MY KITCHEN:(

I decided to try Bakerella's recipe and it turned our great! There is a few things I would have done different but overall they were GOOD!

Here is the recipe:

Pineapple Cupcakes
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
20 oz. can of crushed pineapple, drained and pureed*

Keep the pineapple juice for cocktail hour!

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tray with 24 paper liners.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixer for several minutes. Add the eggs one at a time scraping down the sides of the bowl with each addition. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
• Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture in three additions with the milk in two additions (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour) Mix until combined with each addition
• Add the pineapple and mix until combined.
• Fill cups about 2/3 full and bake for about 15 minutes.

* I pureed the pineapple in a food processor. I’m not a big fan of fruit chunks. Flavor yes. Chunks. Not so much. (Make sure all the chunks are out)

Mango Frosting

1-2 Mangoes
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 lb box of confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

• Cut mangoes.
• Place mango pieces in food processor and puree enough so you have about 1/3 cup.
• Beat butter and vanilla until creamy.
• Add confectioner’s sugar in several additions. beating until well combined with each addition.
• Add 1/2 cup of mango puree and beat until completely combined.
• Spread frosting on cooled cupcakes.

Last but not least.. Cocktail Hour!!

1 part vodka

1 part soda water

2 part pineapple

Shake with ice

Garnish with a leftover piece of Mango!

A Big Thank you to my mom for making me the flower cupcake toppers!

ENJOY!!