Cute Little Turtles :)

I don't like any baked good with nuts in it... except for these!! For my dad's 60th birthday and my grandpa's 87th I made these because they both LOVE nuts and chocolate.

Chocolate Pecan Turtles

makes about 30 bars

1 box Swiss or German chocolate cake mix

3/4 c. melted butter

1 can evaporated milk (1/3 c. and 1/3 c.)

1 c. finely chopped pecans

14 oz. of chewy candy caramels

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix cake mix with butter, beat in 1/3 c. evaporated milk. Put half of the mixture in a 9X13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 6 min.

Melt caramels over stove with 1/3 c. evaporated milk. Pour warmed caramel over the cooked mixture, then chocolate chips, and and then chopped pecans.

On wax paper spoon our remaining "cake" mixture, then roll out or pat out flat to be 9x13 in size. Once flat place on top of the chopped pecans, laying flat. Make sure no chocolate chips or pecans can be seen. Bake for about 18 minutes. Cool in fridge completely before cutting! Then gobble them up!

Pinkie's Cake

This was my Grandma's favorite cake and every time I have it I think of her. ♥ It is easy to make, scrumptious, and looks really beautiful when decorated with fresh flowers.

Lemon Cake

1 pkg. lemon instant pudding

1 box yellow cake mix

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup water

*Beat 4 to 5 minutes

*Pour into greased angelfood pan

*Bake @ 350 for 1 hour

Frosting

1 box powdered sugar

Juice of 2 lemons (more or less until creamy)

Grated lemon peel

*After cake has baked, remove from oven and place right-side-up on plate. Frost immediately while hot! Let icing run down sides of cake - patch up spaces.

(I didn't patch them yet in the picture).

Ok, ok, ok!

When your pregnant friend says she wants a recipe - - you have to give it to her! Wouldn't want to take away from the cravings being met! Here you go, E....

Mint Brownies

1 c. butter

1/2 c. cocoa powder

2 tablespoons honey

4 eggs

2 c. sugar

1 3/4 c. flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Melt butter and mix in cocoa. Let cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix together. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool.

Mint Icing

5 tablespoons butter

A dash of salt

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2 1/3 c. powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon mint extract

Soften butter. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

After the brownies have cooled spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a little bit so the icing stiffens. Remove from freezer and add a layer of chocolate icing over the top.

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 c. butter

2/3 c. cocoa powder

3 c. powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Soften butter and combine all ingredients with mixer.

*A fun thing... you can add a junior mint or fresh mint leaf on the top of the brownies!

Fly me to the moon...

Moon Cake

You'll see why I named this moon cake when you make it. 

(Otherwise known as Whitney's birthday cake! :) )

Cake

1 box vanilla cake mix

1 box vanilla pudding (large)

1 1/4 cup water 

1/3 cup oil

4 eggs

1/3 sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes 

(depends on pan shape).

Frosting

1/3 cup butter

3 cups powered sugar

4-5 tablespoon milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 drop red food coloring (just for Whit - to make her cake pink)

Cream together sugar and butter. Add in milk one tablespoon at a time, then vanilla. Sugar and milk to taste... depending upon if you like more buttery frosting or sweet (I added an extra splash of sugar) and if you like thick or fluffy frosting (I like fluffy so I did 5 tablespoons of milk).

*This is probably my favorite homemade vanilla cake ever. The cake part has such an amazing flavor and consistency!

The Averys

We went to our friends house for dinner and I made this to take for dessert. In honor of them I named it... :)

Avery Chocolate Bundt Cake

Cake
1 box devil's food cake mix (I used the Pillsbury Moist Supreme)
1 box instant chocolate pudding mix
1 & 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup canola oil
3 eggs
1/4 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz.)

Combine first 7 ingredients. Mix well.
Add in chocolate chips with spoon.
Prepare bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 42 minutes.
Let cake sit in pan for 20 minutes to cool.
Remove and place on cake plate.

Glaze
2 & 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbl. unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tbl. nonfat milk
1 tbl. butter, softened
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Combine butter, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder with mixer, in a medium microwave safe bowl.
Add vanilla. Add milk gradually until smooth.
Add melted chocolate chips. Mix well.
Microwave until warm (about 20 seconds).
Spoon over cake so it dribbles down the side and puddles.
*Garnish with fresh berries or dust cake with powdered sugar!

Shimmies & Shakes

This is so tasty and delicious it will make you shimmy and shake!

Yum Yum Buns

2 cans biscuits (Grands Flaky Homestyle, 8 count)

3 oz. cream cheese (cut into 16 cubes)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

1/3 cup chopped pecans 

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 & 1/2 tablespoons hot water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar and cinnamon, set aside. Take biscuits one at a time, flatten with palm of hand, place 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon mixture in the middle of biscuit and one cube of cream cheese. Pinch edges of biscuit together, keep pinching until you create a ball.

Pour melted butter in bottom of bundt pan, pour the rest of the cinnamon and sugar mixture on next and top with chopped pecans. Place all biscuits in pan, seam side up.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 until golden brown. Remove cake from pan. Mix powdered sugar, hot water and vanilla to make icing. Drizzle over cake. Enjoy!!

An individual little bun... :)

The Best

I didn't have a banana bread recipe so I found a handful of different ones that looked good and made 3 loafs in 1 week (let's just say the neighbors were happy!) to discover the Best one. With a little tweaking.. this is it!

Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 bananas)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until well mixed.

2. In a small bowl mash bananas, set aside.

3. In first bowl add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips and pour into prepared pan.

4. Bake until when a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour and 5 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes in pan, then place loaf on cooling rack. Enjoy!

Silly tip… Before peeling the bananas, squeeze them lightly all over and let them sit for a little while (it makes it much easier to mash them later).