Desserts is Stressed Spelled Backwards!

You can never have too many desserts! Ok, maybe at some point but for there can be a such a thing as too many desserts but for now we will pretend that isn't true! Recently, I signed up for Pinterest which has increased the amount of desserts I want to make exponentially. Actually, I have found a ton of new meals from Pinterest but so far have only made the desserts. This weekend I made two desserts, Red Velvet Cupcakes and Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies. I've made several different Red Velvet recipes but I really liked this recipe. Also, I bought an icing kit back in December and used it for the first time when I iced the cupcakes, I absolutely love it! It made the icing go so much quicker and be more presentable!! Now I just want to make cupcakes every day just to use my decorating tool! Now on to the recipes! I got this recipe from a blog called "Annie's Eats".
Red Velvet Cupcakes Serves 24
Ingredients for the Cake
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp (1 oz.) liquid red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distiller white vinegar

Ingredients for Frosting
8 oz cream cheese
5 tbsp unsealed butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
3. Combine cake flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt; whisk to blend.
4. With electric mixer, combine eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar. Beat on medium speed until well blended.
5. Mix in dry ingredients on low and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
6. Divide batter evenly. Bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let cool in pans for 5-10 minutes then cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Frosting Steps
1. Combine cream cheese and butter with electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract. Gradually best in powdered sugar until incorporated. Increase speed and beat until smooth.
2. I used a star tip to ice these cupcakes (if using a tip I would increase the frosting recipe to have plenty for all the cupcakes.)







Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies Serves 36
I got this recipe from Christina who found it via Pinterest. I was looking to try something new and knew she was the perfect person to ask for dessert suggestions so she sent me a recipe she had been wanting to try! You can never go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter! I'm sorry I didn't get a better picture of one of the bars alone but hopefully this will give you and idea of what it looks like.
Ingredients
Brownie Base
1 box Betty Crocker Original Supreme Brownie Mix
Water, Vegetable Oil, Eggs (specific amounts called for on the box)
Filling
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup of creamy Peanut Butter (May actually want a little more. I used 3/4 cups)
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk
Topping
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter

Steps
1. Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom only of 13 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray or shortening.
2. In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, pouch of chocolate syrup, water, oil, and eggs until well blended. Spread in pan. Bake 28-30 mins (the box called for 23-25 but I actually went for 20 and tested it with a toothpick, had experience burning it the first go around). Cool completely, about an hour.
3. Beat filling ingredients with an electric mixer on medium speed. Spread mixture evenly over brownie base.
4. Microwave topping ingredients 30-60 seconds; stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes spread over filling.
5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut into 9 rows by 4 rows.
6. Store covered in refrigerator and remove about 15 minutes before serving (allowing the top chocolate layer to soften a little).

Enjoy. It takes a while just to let the brownie cool completely but is actually a very easy recipe.







Until the next time in the kitchen! Let me know if you try any of the recipes and what you thought about them!
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French Toast with a little Twist

As we grow up and move further away from our friends it is important to make time to see everyone when you're all in the same area. Some of my high school girlfriends and I have an annual brunch the day after Christmas to catch up and make sure there is time to see everyone. Plus no one ever turns down food! This year brunch was simple I made Overnight Orange French Toast, Cheese Grits, and set out some eclairs to enjoy. The Overnight French Toast was a new recipe for me from Southern Living and I'd say it was an absolute hit!
Ingredients for the toast
8 slices of French bread (3/4inch thick)
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons orange juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
Steps
1. Place bread in an ungreased 13x9 baking dish.
2. Combine eggs, milk, orange juice, vanilla, salt, beat well.
3. Pour mixture over bread, turn slices over to coat evenly.
4. Cover and chill overnight.

Ingredients for Orange Sauce
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
½ cup orange juice

Steps for Orange Sauce
1. Combine all ingredients in saucepan, stirring well.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened.

Cook the toast on top of the stove before serving and drizzle the orange sauce and powdered sugar over the finished toast. I also added a slice of orange to each piece but that is certainly optional. No syrup is needed for this French toast. It has a natural flavor and just a hint of orange in every bite! The photo is a bit blurry but you can still get the idea.




Another dish that is always good for large (or small) groups is Cheese Grits. Being Southern I love cheese grits! My mom's recipe is my all time favorite so I am happy to share it with you.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups grits, uncooked
6 cups water
3 beaten eggs
1 stick margarine
1 pound grated cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons salt
Dash of Tabasco

Steps
*Do not add salt to water when cooking grits.*
1. Bring water to a boil and add grits slowly and cook until done.
2. Add a little of the cooked grits to the beaten eggs. Adding a small amount at a time until eggs are heated. Then add the eggs to the pot of grits.
3. Stir in margarine and cheese until they melt.
4. Turn into a 9 x 13 baking dish, bake at 250 for 1 hour.

Enjoy!
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'Tis the Season

First, I'd like to apologize for not updating the blog in so long. I hope the recipes will make up for my tardiness.
Last year I had started an annual tradition of having some friends over after the Birmingham-Southern Christmas choral concert for Christmas desserts. So this year that time came around again and what better time to spend with friends than the holidays? This year I made Cranberry Bliss bars, Seven Layer Magic bars, Date Rolls, and Icebox Fruitcake.
A little bit about each of these desserts- Cranberry Bliss Bars every year starting in about November, Starbucks puts out their Cranberry Bliss Bars, a little piece of heaven if you ask me! So I was determined to find a recipe to duplicate the recipe, well luckily I was able to find a recipe. I made this last year and it was too cakey but it seemed to work a bit better this year. I was much more pleased with this go around, I was at least able to cut it into bars this year. Last year it was more a dollop of cranberry bliss crumble. Ha! I found this recipe off a blog titled, "Loving' from the Oven" but different variations are easy to google.
Ingredients
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1–1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1–1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Dried Cranberries, minced
1/4 cup plus 1/4–1/3 cup White Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup Crystallized Ginger Slices, minced
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1–1/2 cups powdered sugar

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 9×13 pan.
2. Beat together the butter and sugar. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
3. Add the flour, ginger, and salt into the batter. Beat well. Lightly stir in the 1/4 cup cranberries, 1/4 cup chocolate chips and minced ginger.
4. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven.
5. Make the frosting by beating the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until you reach the desired consistency.
6. Spread the frosting onto the cooled cake.
7. Cut the frosted cake as desired into bars or triangles. Sprinkle the remaining minced cranberries and chocolate chips on the top.






Seven Layer Magic Bars
This really is magic, plenty of ingredients and really makes it quite enjoyable. This recipe usually is on the inside of the Condensed milk label but here is one I found from allrecipes.com.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch-flavored chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for glass baking pan). In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan.
2. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.
3. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.



Icebox Fruit Cake
Now this isn't your normal fruitcake that would make one turn up their nose and this one is a staple from at an Anchors Christmas gathering, this is my GranMary's recipe and I always remember her while making the cookies.
Ingredients
1 box graham crackers, crumbled into fine crumbs
1 can of condensed milk
1/2 cup white raisins
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Steps
1. Mix all ingredients up with your hands, will be sticky!
2. Roll in tubes about two inches in diameter.
3. Wrap in wax paper and store in refrigerator for up to a month.
4. Cut slices off as needed.
If you want to add other candies you can.



I don't have the recipe for the date rolls on hand but I will try to post that in the future. This was a dessert mom helped me make and she just knew the recipe off hand. They are so much better than they sound! Here is a little teaser for you...



Enjoy your Christmas desserts! But remember they can be served any time of year! Maybe that is why I posted this in February! Happy Baking!
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Light pasta served with sausage and peppers

Usually I stick very closely to recipes and am envious of friends who can just whip things up with the ingredients in their pantry! I am trying to get better about improvising on my meals. Last week I really wanted to make a pasta with sausage and bell peppers so I set my mind to it without a recipe! I picked up some Archer Farms chicken sausage which happened to be a sun-dried tomato and asiago cheese mixture (delicious on its own) and I got some red, yellow, and green bell peppers and cut them up. I put a little olive oil in a skillet and put in the sausage and peppers and let them cook. After a little bit I cut up the sausage into smaller sections and continued to let it cook, overall it was about 10 minutes in the skillet. Then, I made some spaghetti noodles and when that was done I put a little olive oil on it with the sausage and pepper mixture on top. Add a little salt and pepper as desired, if you wish to add a little garlic powder to the pasta it is a great addition to the meal as well!
It is just a simple recipe but it is a great weeknight dinner or leftovers for lunch!



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Fall weather calls for some cooking!

I was so excited for my fall themed meal for bunco I just couldn't wait to serve it! And I think it was a big hit with everyone. The menu for the night was Strombolis with Orange Pretzel Salad and for dessert, Carrot Cake!

A tradition for my family is to make Strombolis while we decorate the Christmas tree so the fact that I was making Strombolis in October was shocking to my sister but no matter the time of year Strombolis are always appropriate! I hope as we enter into the holiday season maybe you can start serving Strombolis while you decorate the Christmas tree. Unfortunately, we were all so eager to dig into the Strombolis I didn't get to take a picture of them but I am going to include the recipe, again this one came from my mom's cookbook.
The second dish for our meal was orange pretzel salad, now usually this is strawberry pretzel salad but for Halloween I trade in the strawberry jello for orange jello! This recipe also came from my mom's cookbook.
I finish with a carrot cake shaped like a pumpkin using to bundt cakes and putting them together to get a full circle with the perfect ridges of a pumpkin. Color the frosting orange and color just a little bit green for the stem. For my stem I just used a paper cup and frosted it with the green frosting! You can also use an ice cream cone as an option for the stem! I think I included the carrot cake recipe in a previous post so I won't re-post it here.

I made this meal back in October right before Halloween I'm just a little behind in posting the blog! I apologize for the delay.

Stromboli
Meat Mixture
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon fine chopped onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
1/8 teaspoon oregano
6 slices mozzarella cheese
6 slices of hard salami

In a skillet brown beef and onion. Add tomato sauce, ketchup, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and spices. Cook for 20 minutes.

Bread preparation
6 sub buns
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Mix butter, garlic powder and paprika. Split buns and spread on butter mixture.

Sandwich
Put mozzarella cheese on bun.
Put salami slices on bun.
Spread meat on top of cheese.
Wrap individually in tin foil.
Freeze for later or bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Orange Pretzel Salad
Bottom Layer
2 1/2 cups pretzels, crushed
3/4 cup margarine, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar

Combine pretzels, margarine, and brown sugar. Mix well and pat into a buttered 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Middle Layer
1 cup sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed

Cream the sugar and cream cheese. Fold in whipped topping. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust making sure the crust is sealed well with the mixture.

Top Layer
6 ounces orange gelatin (substitute strawberry is you'd like)
2 cups boiling water
10 ounces mandarin oranges (frozen strawberries if you are making strawberry pretzel salad)

Dissolve gelatin in water while still warm. Add oranges, stirring slightly. Cool in refrigerator until mixture begins to set. When the gelatin begins to set pour it over the middle layer. Chill until firm and serve.











Happy Halloween!
And to include some of the decorations I had up, here is a picture of the flowers displayed in a pumpkin vase! A great idea from my mom!



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Roll Tide with a side of Red Velvet Cake (12 layers that is)

You might say I'm crazy for attempting a 12 layer cake and I have to agree with you but I have a slight competitive side so after my sister baked a 12 layer cake I decided I just had to try. What occasion screams the need for a 12 layer cake? An Alabama football party of course! I decided to alternate the layers between a red velvet and white cake (also known as Crimson and White)! I should have made one more layer to complete 13 for the national championships, oh well next time (hopefully next time it can be 14 layers!)
As I mentioned previously my sister had made a 12 layer cake a few weeks before I made mine and it had a little trouble standing. She was shooting for 29 layers for a friend's birthday but when layer 4 caved on her it was a new plan and 12 seemed doable, it was edible. Hearing her during the cake process made me want to try a 12 layer cake myself, I tend to have a bit of a competitive side. I just wanted to see if my cake could stand on its own. It did! My friends were all a little nervous when I cut into the cake, they had bets that it was going to collapse to the ground! Good news is it didn't and we went on to enjoy all 12 layers!!
Of course cake wasn't the only item served for the football party I also fixed a 7 layer taco appetizer and some pizzas. Both of these were easy to fix and serve. The taco dip came from my mom's cookbook, "Going to Carole's", and is always a hit! Loree also made some cherry tomatoes with mozzarella balls in the middle, they were delicious (and also happened to fit the Crimson and White theme).
Here is the taco appetizer recipe, Enjoy!
Taco Appetizer
Mix each layer separately and then place on a serving plate(or a disposable cake pan works great to keep it all in!) in layers and serve with Fritos or your choice of chips.
Layer 1
2 cans bean dip
Layer 2
3 avocados, over ripe
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Or you can get guacamole already made up for this layer!
Layer 3
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 package of Taco Seasoning mix
Mix these together before spreading
Layer 4
Do not mix these layers, just layer them.
Green onions, chopped, as desired
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 can ripe black olives, sliced or chopped
Cheddar cheese, as desired

Now one more thing before I leave you with some pictures, ROLL TIDE




Taco Dip!




The whole spread with the taco dip and pizzas!

Now for what you've really been waiting for the twelve layer red velvet cake....


To have a comparison my sister's cake on top mine on the bottom.









About to cut it, will it still be standing after I make the first slice?? Let's see!




Success! I love this picture because it really shows the different layer colors!
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Brushetta and Balsamic Pork Tenderloins

It has been a while since I have updated my blog and figured it was time to add a few more recipes! About a month ago I had Caitlin and her mama over for dinner as a break from moving Caitlin into her apartment. I love time with both of them and enjoying hours of laughter and chatter with them! Our menu for the night included Brushetta for appetizers, pork tenderloin with lentil salad, and for dessert...red velvet cake! Brushetta is one of my favorite recipes to make and either serve as an appetizer or I serve the tomato mixture over pasta and serve as a meal! The Brushetta recipe I use comes from Simply Recipes.
Ingredients:
6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper for taste

1 French baguette
1/4 cup olive oil

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Chop tomatoes finely. Put the tomatoes, garlic, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add chopped fresh basil, add salt and pepper if needed for taste.
3. Slice the baguette on a diagonal into 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil. Place the bread (olive oil side down)on a baking sheet and bake for 5-6 minutes.
4. Align the bread on a platter (olive oil side up) and scoop the tomato mixture on each slice of bread. If you choose to serve it over pasta as a meal, skip steps 3 & 4 and scoop the tomato mixture over pasta!
5. Enjoy!

Balsamic Glazed Pork and Lentils
Recipe from Real Simple
Ingredients
1 cup green lentils, rinsed
kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1 1/4-pound pork tenderloin
1 red apple, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Steps
1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Bring 4 cups water to a boil.
2. Add lentils and 1 tsp salt, stir occasionally until tender, 20 - 30 minutes. Drain under cold water.
3. Combine balsamic vinegar and brown sugar.
4. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook until browned, 6-8 minutes, turning ocassionally.
5. Transfer the pork to the oven. Roast until cooked through, 10-12 minutes, basting with the glaze twice during the last 5 minutes. Wait a little bit before slicing.
6. Toss cooked lentils with the apple, celery, parsley, lemon juice, 2 tbsp oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Serve with the pork and any pan drippings.

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe from Real Simple
Ingredients:
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the pans
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
Cream Cheese Frosting
Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. With an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar on medium-high until fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, vinegar, and food coloring. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions and buttermilk in 2 additions (start and end with the flour mixture). Mix on a low speed until combined, don't over mix.
5. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake 40-45 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes then transfer to racks to cool completely.
6. Top with frosting (directions below) and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe from Real Simple
Ingredients
2 8-ounce bars cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch kosher salt
Steps
1. Beat cream cheese and butter on high until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and add sugar gradually, then the vanilla and salt. Beat until smooth and scrape down the bowl as needed.
2. Frost each layer of the cake and the sides and Enjoy!
Picture time! Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the red velvet cake but do have pictures of the Brushetta and Pork. Thank you to Mrs. Schmidt for photographing our main course! We were all too excited for dessert to pause and take that picture but next time I'll make sure I document it.

Brushetta:


Balsamic Pork Tenderloin and Lentil Salad



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