Thanksgiving Pies

Chocolate candy crunch pie (courtesy of Kraft recipes)
2 C cold milk
2 boxes (4oz) chocolate pudding mix
1 Tub cool whip, thawed and divided
2 milk chocolate English toffee candy bars (I just got a bag of heath chips in the baking aisle)
1 Oreo pie crust
1 square semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted (I just used chocolate syrup)

Pour milk into large bowl. Add pudding mixes. Beat until well blended. Gently stir in 1 1/2 C whipped topping. Reserve some candy pieces for topping. Stir remaining candy into pudding mixture. Spoon into crust and top with remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle reserved candy pieces and drizzle with melted chocolate. Serve or refrigerate.

I made this the night before and refrigerated it all night and it still wasn't a very solid consistency but more like firm pudding. I'm guessing it had to do with the whip topping being too soft. I also ended up only using 3/4 of a bag of the heath chips and I was very liberal with the topping. But it was seriously delicious!


Double Layer cheesecake
2 (8oz) packs cream cheese, softened
3/4 C sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
1 graham cracker crust (9 inch)
1/2 C pumpkin puree
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
whipped topping

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.
3. Add pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.

You could also add some ground cloves or instead of using pumpkin puree just use pumpkin pie filling since it's already got the spices. I added a whole can of pumpkin because I didn't think the flavor was strong enough but then it wasn't as solid as cheesecake usually is so maybe just more spices, less pumpkin. I drizzled caramel on top and then whip cream. I was thinking next time I would also throw on some pecans or those heath chips. Enjoy!

Two for one!

I've been on a coconut kick lately and I found a recipe I loved for coconut cupcakes but I couldn't decide what kind of frosting would go best on it. So of course that meant I had to try different ones. I didn't get a photo of the first batch I did but they were pina colada cupcakes, coconut with pineapple butter cream frosting. The second batch I did were coconut with chocolate syrup frosting. Both were SO good but I think the chocolate ones were better. Then again, I could eat that chocolate syrup frosting straight and be happy.

Coconut Cupcakes
1 White cake mix
1 1/3 C coconut milk OR whole milk (I didn't have whole the second time so I used skim and that worked fine too)
2 T veg. oil
3 eggs
2 t coconut flavoring (I used 1 T b/c I think the flavoring I got wasn't very potent)

1)Heat oven to 350. Mix everything on low for 30 seconds, scrape down sides and mix on medium for 2 more minutes. Fill liners, bake for 20 minutes till light golden brown on top. Let cool fully before frosting.

Pineapple buttercream
1 stick butter
3 C powdered sugar
2-3 T pineapple juice (or flavoring)

Cream butter and juice then add sugar and mix till smooth

Chocolate Syrup Frosting
1 stick butter
1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C chocolate syrup
3 C powdered sugar
1 T milk
1 t vanilla

Mis butter, cocoa and syrup till blended. Add sugar, milk and vanilla till creamy.

Oh and I sprinkled coconut (flaked sweetened) for garnish

My favorite cookies

Okay I don't have any pictures of these because honestly they never last long enough for me to remember to take pictures. I looked for a long time for a great peanut butter cookie recipe and I finally found this one and it's been my go to cookie recipe for years now. I always end up adding chocolate chips because well, isn't peanut butter always better with some chocolate? I also love this recipe because it's super easy to remember and I can do the whole batch start to finish in probably 15 minutes. Plus these are the kind of cookies that are soft and gooey and stay soft for days. (Not that they'll last that long!)

Peanut Butter chocolate chip cookies
1/2 C butter (1 stick)
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C peanut butter (I always use crunchy)
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/4 C flour
semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and peanut butter in mixing bowl. Add brown sugar, sugar, baking soda, baking powder. Mix till combined. Add egg, vanilla, till blended well. Slowly add flour till mixed. Then add as many chocolate chips as your little heart desires. I use semisweet but milk chocolate chips work as well. Bake for 10-12 minutes. If you like yours to stay chewy then pull them out before they get brown all over.

Triple choc choc chocolate (name that movie!)

My good friend is about to have a baby any day now and last week her husband had to go out of town for the ENTIRE week. So I was on call in case she were to go into labor. Anyways, we decided I should stay close by so we hung out literally every day (plus our boys are best friends) and she had mentioned how she LOVES chocolate cupcakes so I hunted down a recipe to try. These did not disappoint! Once again the amazing bakerella supplied the recipe so I highly recommend it and I think she says she uses the special dark cocoa by Hershey's and I didn't use it but I think I will next time. It was a nice chocolaty flavor but I think using the dark cocoa would really make it extra rich.

Chocolate Cupcakes

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 c milk, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Prepare cupcake pans with 36 baking cups.
• With a wire whisk, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
• In a mixer, cream sugar and butter.
• Add eggs one at a time, scraping down sides with each addition. Add vanilla.
• Add flour mixture to the creamed butter in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions. (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour)
• Bake for about 15 minutes or until done.
• Cool and frost.

Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa)
1 box (1 lb) confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-3 Tbsp milk

• Cream the butter and cream cheese with a mixer.
  
• Add the cocoa and vanilla.
  
• Add the confectioner's sugar in small batches and blend on low until combined. Scrape down sides with each addition.
• Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until you get the consistency you desire.

*Some notes-with the cupcakes I didn't have unsalted butter so I just used regular and didn't add the salt to the recipe. Once again, that was bakerellas recipe.

Ka-POUND cake! Okay that was lame...

This one I got from Bakerella so I'll just copy the recipe and mention what I did differently. I've never done a pound cake before but this one was really easy and SO delicious (notice I say that a lot? Well I wouldn't post a recipe to an "okay" dessert.) I took her advice and added strawberries to it but mine didn't turn out near as pretty as hers. I think it's because I tried to mix the strawberries in AFTER I had poured the batter into the bread pans....oops. But either way no one cared once we cut it up and drenched the slices in cream cheese glaze. Also, the recipe for the glaze is meant to be for TWO loaves....however Brian didn't realize this and while he was nice enough to prepare the plates, he used the entire batch of glaze on one loaf. It was intense to say the least, but I can handle it, I was raised for this kind of eating. :) Once again this is courtesy of Bakerella.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake
3.5 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk, room temperature

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Sift flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
Using a mixer, cream butter, cream cheesea nd sugar for about 6 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add vanilla and milk until combined.
Add flour mixture until completely combined.

Pour into two greased and floured 9 X 5 loaf pans.

Stir in 2-cups hulled and diced strawberries for each loaf if desired.

Bake for about 60 minutes or until done.

Update: Ummm… Forgot to mention… some of my strawberries sank to the bottom, You know I don't bake with fruit so much, but after reading up on it, I think this will help. Try lightly covering the fruit with flour. Let me know if it works for ya.

Cream Cheese Icing
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp milk

Cream butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and milk until thoroughly combined.
Spread on top of cake.
Store in the refrigerator.

The amazing hunny bun

So my photography skills may be wanting and they certainly don't do justice to most of these desserts I make. But trust me, this one was heavenly! Brian and I inhaled it which is saying a lot since Brian is picky with his sweets. It's technically a coffee cake but I would make it for any old occasion...and maybe hide in the closet and eat it myself.


Hunny Bun Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1 C sour cream
3/4 veg oil
4 large eggs

Filling:
1/3 C honey
1/3 C packed light brown sugar
1 T ground cinnamon
1/2 C finely chopped pecans (optional)

Sugar Glaze:
2 C confectioners sugar-sifted
1/3 C milk
1 t. pure vanilla extract

1) Grease 9x13 baking pan and heat oven to 350.
2) Mix cake mix, sour cream, oil and eggs in mixing bowl. Blend on low one minute, scrape down sides, blend on medium for 2 minutes.
3) Pour batter into pan
4) Add the filling. Drizzle honey on top of the batter then sprinkle on brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Swirl with dinner knife till slightly blended. Place pan in oven.
5)Bake for 38-40 minutes or till golden brown.
6) For glaze, mix confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla till well combined. Pour over hot cake in pan.

*Okay some notes- I didn't follow the measurements for the filling. I just eyeballed it and sprinkled as much as I wanted, much easier than measuring it all out. I also didn't add the pecans b/c Brian doesn't like them but I think it would be awesome with pecans. I also made this in a cupcake form and added the filling individually to EACH cupcake and swirled it with a toothpick. Then I added a cinnamon cream cheese frosting, it was a ton of work but reminded me of a cinnabon mixed with a yellow cake.

The bundt fun continues!

Oh chocolatey heaven! This recipe seemed simple but it was so rich and fluffy. As you can tell from the picture, I was too impatient and took a slice before snapping a photo. I thought it would need a glaze of some sort but it doesn't, just a large glass of milk.



1 box devils cake mix
1 box chocolate instant pudding mix
4 large eggs
1 C sour cream (you can always use light but NOT fat free)
1/2 C warm water
1/2 C veg oil
1.5 C semisweet chocolate chips (I used mini ones and those were great too, I think I'll do peanut butter chips next time)

1) Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in large mixing bowl. Blend on low 1 minute, then scrape sides and blend on medium for 2 minutes.
2) FOLD in chocolate chips making sure they're well distributed. Pour batter into greased & floured bundt pan. Even out with spatula.
3) Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes then invert on cake server and let cool completely. Serve while still warm.

Meeting the bundt

I bought another cake recipe book and I found that it had several recipes using a bundt pan. Shockingly enough I've never owned or used a bundt pan before. Well I picked up a shnazzy red pan from walmart and got to work! My first bundt cake was actually a coffee cake, but I would serve it anytime because it was delicious!



Filling and Cake
1/3 C packed light brown sugar
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 C chopped pecans or walnuts (I didn't use either since Brian doesn't like nuts)
1 box yellow cake mix
1 box vanilla instant pudding mix
3/4 C veg. oil
3/4 C water
4 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract

Glaze:
1 C confectioners sugar sifted (I WOULD sift it so it doesn't stay lumpy)
2 T milk
1/2 t vanilla extract (you could mix it up and try almond or orange extract)

1) Heat oven to 350. Spray 12-C bundt pan with veg. oil spray, then dust with flour. Shake out excess flour. (* I use bake easy by wilton and that works great and is much less messy, plus it saves time*)
2) For filling, conbine brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl.
3) Sprinkle pecans in bottom of pan, set pan aside. In mixing bowl combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, water, eggs and vanilla. Blend on low for one minute, scrape sides then blend on medium for 2 minutes.
4) Pour 1/3 of the batter in pan, scatter half of the filling over batter. Pour another 1/3 of the batter over the filling, then scatter other half of filling then cover with remaining batter. (So it goes batter, filling, batter, filling batter, get it? :) )
5) Place pan in oven for 58-60 minutes. ( I think my oven is a bit hot so it took about 50 minutes I think.) It should be golden brown and spring back when touched.
6) Run a knife around the edge and invert on cake server. Let cool fo 30 minutes.
7) Combine ingridients for glaze in small bowl. Spoon glaze over cake.

Buttermilk Devils Chocolate cake

Okay so I don't have pictures of this one but I've made it several times and it's definitely a keeper so I'll take a pic next time I use it. It's so easy and make a plain devils chocolate mix so much better. I also love these because they come out shaped perfectly with raised, round tops.

1 box Devils chocolate mix
1 1/3 C buttermilk
1/2 c veg oil
2 T cocoa powder (if you want it REALLY rich, use dutch process cocoa, they have it at most grocery stores)
3 eggs
1 t vanilla (I did almond extract once)

follow same directions as all my other cupcakes, or you can use it for making cakes too.

Cinnamon Toast Cupcakes

I'm learning that it's often the cupcakes that I have the least expectations for that surprise me the most. I figured these would be pretty boring but I like trying new recipes and I had all the stuff so I gave it a shot. Boy were these a keeper! They were ridiculously moist and fluffy and the cinnamon cream cheese frosting was so good I had to stop myself from eating it straight out of the icing bag. Brian and I agree they reminded us of a carrot cake but honestly, I like these better. Oh and I used a 12 tip for the icing, I love how cute they turned out.

1 box yellow cake mix
1 package vanilla instant pudding mix
1 1/4 whole milk
3/4 C veg. oil
3 large eggs
1 T ground cinnamon

Just follow the same mixing instructions I always write up, oven at 350, blend all ingredients, cook 18-22 min. Once you frost the cupcakes, sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar mixed. You can do 1 T sugar with 1/4 t cinnamon to get a good ratio. Plus that'll be plenty for all the cupcakes.

Cinnamon cream cheese frosting
1 (8oz) package cream cheese (again reduced fat works)
4 T stick butter
3 cups confectioners sugar sifted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1) Mix cream cheese and butter on low for 30 seconds till combined. Slowly blend in sugar, little at a time. Blend on low for 1 minute
2) Add cinnamon then increase speed to medium until fluffy.

Notes-this is a great frosting to pipe on if you have tips and bags, it's thick and made PLENTY. As for the cupcakes, I would only fill them half full because they rise a lot and I only got 23 cupcakes out of it. Enjoy!

Best Birthday Cupcakes...really

I think the combo of a yellow cake with chocolate frosting is one of my favorites and this one was seriously the best I've ever had.

1 package plain butter recipe golden mix
1 8oz package cream cheese (reduced fat works)
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C water
1/2 C veg. oil
4 large eggs
1 T vanilla extract
Chocolate syrup frosting and sprinkles to decorate

1)Heat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in mixing bowl on low for 30 seconds. Scrape sides, blend on medium for 2 minutes.
2) Spoon 1/4 C batter into 24 paper liners
3) Bake for 24-27 min (my oven is hot so it's always a little less, keep an eye on them so they don't get too brown.
4) Let cool before frosting

Chocolate Syrup Frosting (it's totally worth it to make it from scratch and not use any old tub of chocolate frosting)
8 T (1 stick) butter
1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C chocolate syrup (I used hersheys)
3 C confectioner's sugar SIFTED (I just learned what that meant and it made such a difference)
1 T milk
1 t pure vanilla extract

1) Put butter, cocoa, chocolate syrup in large bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low until just combined (30 sec). Stop the machine and add sugar, milk and vanilla. Blend on low until sugar is incorporated. (1min)
2) Increase speed to medium and beat till light and fluffy. Frost cupcakes.

Notes- I used my kitchenaid for both the cake mix and the frosting. Since the frosting has syrup in it, it was too runny to pipe it on, so I just used a cupcake spatula to frost it on.

Leftover Dessert (aka chocolate peanut butter cake truffles)

I had some leftover peanut butter candy melts, white almond bark and two half used tubs of cream cheese frosting. So what did I make? Devils chocolate cake balls dipped in peanut butter candy melts. I followed the bakerella recipe dipping the cake balls in peanut butter candy melts. They always look naked to me so I always like to drizzle something on top. This time I did milk chocolate chips. I only had enough to dip half in the peanut butter and then did the other half in white almond bark. While they peanut butter ones were very tastey I think I prefer the white ones better. But it's fun to experiment! If you want bakerella's basic cake ball recipe here it is.

http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2007/12/red-velvet-cake-balls.html

Oreo truffles part deux!

Since I loved the mint oreo truffles so much, and I'm not even a mint person, I figured the peanut butter equivalent must be even more amazing. Well I was right. I used the double stuff peanut butter oreos and instead of using a full block of cream cheese I did 3/4 a block then added a couple spoons full of creamy peanut butter. It's SUPER rich which as a Thaden, I can handle, Brian however couldn't. It definetly will require a glass of milk to go with it but it's SO good. I think next time I would just do the cream cheese to decrease the sweetness. (Did I really just say that?) Oh, and I had leftover chocolate and white bark so I did both. Either one works. Then I melted some peanut butter candy melts (also from Michaels) and drizzled them over. So just follow the mint oreo recipe but with peanut butter oreos, and if you're really craving the peanut butter, add a spoonful to the mix.

*Heidi-these are egg free, do these!

The Ugly cupcake

Okay before you give up and skip over this post due to the unattractiveness of those cupcakes, let me explain. Last night I was in the mood for baking (okay I always am) so I asked Brian what he wanted. He said cupcakes but I wanted something quick, I found this recipe and since it didn't require frosting I chose it. It's called a Jelly Doughnut cupcake and even though I don't LOVE jelly doughnuts, I DO love these! So don't judge these too swiftly because you'll seriously miss out.

1 box yellow cake mix
1 box (3.5oz) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 C whole milk
1 C veg. oil
4 large eggs
1 jar (12 oz) strawberry preserves, or your favorite jelly
1/2 C confectioners sugar
24 whole strawberries or blueberries for garnish

1) Heat oven to 350, line 24 cupcake cups with liners
2) Put cake mix, pudding, milk, oil and eggs in large bowl. Mix on low for 3o seconds, scrape sides then mix on medium for 2 minutes.
3) Scoop 1/4 cup batter into each cup, bake for 20 minutes.
4) Fit a pastry bag with a metal tip with a large round hole and spoon preserves into bag. Insert the tip into the center of the cupcakes.
5) Squirt 2 teaspoons to one tablespoon preserves into each cupcake. Sift powdered sugar on top and garnish with fruit. (I didn't have any fruit to garnish it with and they still were amazing.)

Mint Oreo Truffles, AMAZING

I used Bakerellas recipe but I'll post it here just in case. I added the mint drizzle so that's my own twist. :)

1 package mint oreos (double stuff)
1 8oz cream cheese
white almond bark
dark cocoa mint candy melts (you can get them at michaels)


1) use 22 oreos with stuffing and 11 without. Put in food processor (I used a blender) and mix till a powder consistency. (No chunks!)
2) Put in bowl and mix in cream cheese with a spoon. Mix till cookie dough consistency.
3) Roll into small balls, put in freezer till firm
4) Melt almond bark in bowl, then dip oreo balls. Put them on a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet.
(I have a dipping tool set you can get at walmart or I used Max's baby spoons which also work well, it minimizes the amount of pooling)
5) Melt mint candy melts in ziploc bag, cut tip and drizzle over.
6) Give as many away as you can because you will eat all of these like it's your last meal.

Strawberry white chocolate cupcakes

1 Box plain white cake mix
1 package strawberry gelatin (3 oz)
1 C finely chopped strawberries with juice, from 1 1/2 cups whole berries
3/4 C milk
3/4 C veg. oil
4 large egs
white chocolate cream cheese frosting
strawberries for garnish

1) Heat oven to 350, line the cupcake pan with paper liners.
2) Place cake mix, gelatin, strawberries and juice, milk, oil and eggs in a mixing bowl. Blend on low for 30 seconds, then scrape down sides and blend on medium for 2 minutes.
3) Scoop 1/3 cup batter into each paper liner.
4) Bake for 20-25 minutes.

White chocolate cream cheese frosting

6 oz white chocolate, coarsely chopped (I just used white chocolate chips)
4 oz cream cheese (reduced fat works fine)
4 T stick butter
2-2 1/2 C confectioners sugar, sifted

1)Place chocolate in glass bowl, microwave for 1 minute. Stir till smooth.
2) Place cream cheese and butter in bowl, beat with mixer till blended. Add white chocolate till smooth.
3) Add the confectioners sugar and blend on low for 30 seconds. Increase to medium speed and blend till fluffy. Beat one minute more adding up to 1/2 cup more sugar if needed to make frosting spreadable.



Side note-I used a 1M tip to pipe the frosting on. Also, I mixed the frosting in my kitchenaid with the wire beater.

Domestic purging

Finally I got around to making a real recipe blog. I figured it'd be easier for everyone if I just posted all my baking adventures in one place. I decided on "A Sweet Retreat" because really, isn't that why we bake? At least I bake because it makes my day seem less stressful if I've got a cupcake to look forward to. So enjoy and if you try baking some of these recipes, let me know and take pictures! I'm also transfering all the recipes I've already posted on my blog to this one. I just added "old" to the title so you know it's not a new recipe. Happy Baking!

Pretty-in-Pink Peppermint Cupcakes (old)

Pretty-in-Pink Peppermint Cupcakes (from a cupcake cookbook emily gave me)

1 box white cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
3 egg whites
2 T veg. oil (or melted butter)
1/2 t. peppermint extract
3-4 drops red food coloring
1 container vanilla frosting
1/2 C crushed peppermint candies

-Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pans with baking cups
-Beat cake mix, water, egg whites, oil, peppermint extract and food coloring with mixer for 30 seconds on low. Then beat at medium for 2 min
-Spoon batter into muffin cups. Fill 3/4 full. Bake 20-22 min. Take out and let cool.
-Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with crushed candies.

Rich chocolate mini cakes (Old)

Rich Chocolate Mini-cakes

2/3 C flour
1/2 C sugar
3T baking cocoa
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t each baking soda and salt
1/2 C water
3 T vegetable oil (I used canola and it turned out fine)
1 t vanilla extract
Chocolate glaze and Vanilla Drizzle (recipe follows)

-Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 24 small muffin cups (I ended up only getting 16 out of this recipe)
-Stir flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Add water, oil and vanilla. Stir till blended. Spoon into cups filling 2/3 full. Bake 12-14 min or until top springs back when touched. Cool completely.
-Prepare chocolate glaze. Dip rounded portion into glaze. Place on wax paper-covered tray. Refrigerate for 10 min to set glaze. Prepare vanilla drizzle, then drizzle onto mini cakes. (I put them back in the fridge after I did the vanilla part too)

Chocolate Glaze- Melt 2 T butter in small saucepan on LOW heat. Add 2 T cocoa and 2 T water. Cook until smooth and slightly thickened. DO Not let boil. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Blend 1 C powdered sugar and 1/2 t vanilla extract. Beat till smooth and slightly thickened.

Vanilla Drizzle-I didn't follow their directions which told you to melt way more white chocolate chips than you need and to add shortening which I don't like. I just put a handful of white chocolate chips in a ziploc bag, microwaved it for a minute till melted then cut off the tip and decorated the tops.