Orange Dreamsicle Cookies

mmm . . . 

mmm . . .

mmm . . . 

These are one of my favorite cookies!  The cookie itself is chewy and moist with a hint of freshness from the orange zest and a sweet, melt-in-your mouth feeling from the white chocolate chips.  There is just something about orange and white chocolate together that is irresistible.   

To prevent myself from eating every last one of these cookies (because, I really would eat every last one), I piled them up and took them to work to share with all of my co-workers!  They are always a huge hit!   

Orange Dreamsicle Cookies

(Printable Recipe)

2 1/4 c. flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. light brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 - 2 Tbl. grated orange zest 

1 1/2 c. white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.  Add the orange zest.  Gradually add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly.  Stir in the white chocolate chips.  Using a small ice cream scoop, drop dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake 10-11 minutes.  Yield: around 30 cookies.  

NEAPOLITAN CAKE

THIS CAKE IS SOOOOOOOOOO YUMMY!!!!!!! You have got to make this ASAP.  I used this strawberry cake recipe, then a chocolate and vanilla that I have made before.  Feel free to use your favorite recipes or even box mixes if you are pressed for time.  The original recipe fills each layer with strawberry jam, but as you know, I am a huge frosting lover, so I used frosting between the layers instead of jam.  It is definitely more impressive looking without the layer of frosting, but sometimes you have to do what you like, not what might look better.  

This really does taste like Neapolitan Ice Cream and it is one of the best cakes I have ever had.  It leaves a delicious aftertaste in your mouth and has you begging for more.  Enjoy!! 

Strawberry Cake

adapted from: here

1 c. sugar

1 1/2 oz. strawberry Jell-O

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

1 + 1/4 + 1/8 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. milk

1/2 Tbl. vanilla

1/4 c. strawberry puree (I used frozen, sweetened strawberries and pureed them in my blender until smooth)

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add Jell-O.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Combine flour and baking powder and add alternately with milk and vanilla; beating until just combined.  Blend in strawberry puree.  Pour batter into one (9-inch) greased and floured cake pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (mine took 33 minutes) or until done.  Cool in pan 10 minutes, invert to rack and cool completely.  

Vanilla Cake

from: Jenn@eatcakefordinner

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour one (9-inch) round cake pan.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.  In another bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla until smooth.  Pour into dry ingredients and mix just until combined.  Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 22-26 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert to rack and cool completely.

Chocolate Cake

adapted from: Martha Stewart

1/4 c. + 2 Tbl. cocoa

3/4 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 + 1/8 tsp. baking powder

1/4 + 1/8 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/4 c. + 2 Tbl. warm water

1/4 c. + 2 Tbl. buttermilk

1 1/2 Tbl. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour one (9-inch) cake pan; set aside.  In a large bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add egg, warm water, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla; mix until smooth, about 3 minutes.  Pour batter into prepared cake pan.  Bake until top springs back when lightly touched, about 24-25 minutes.  Cool in pan 10  minutes, invert to rack and cool completely.     

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

from: Jenn@eatcakefordinner

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened

1/3 c. shortening, opt. (I add this to help my frosting 

     hold its shape better for piping)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

6 c. powdered sugar

3/4 c. strawberry puree 

   (frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed)

2 tsp. strawberry extract

a few drops red food coloring, opt. 

Cream together butter, shortening and cream cheese until fluffy.  Add 2 cups powdered sugar.  Add 1/4 cup strawberry puree, strawberry extract and food coloring and beat until smooth.  Add remaining powdered sugar and strawberry puree alternately and beat until reaches desired consistency.

TO ASSEMBLE CAKE:  Slice the strawberry and the chocolate cake layers in half horizontally.  Trim the vanilla cake if you want it to be the same size as the strawberry and chocolate, if not, just leave it whole.  Place one chocolate layer down on your cake board and top with either strawberry jam or strawberry frosting.  Top with a strawberry layer and top with more jam or frosting.  Top with vanilla cake, then more jam or frosting.  Followed by the remaining chocolate layer, jam or frosting, then top with the remaining strawberry layer.  Frost entire cake with strawberry frosting and decorate as desired.  Eat immediately or store in the refrigerator.  Bring to room temperature before serving.       

(Printable Recipes) 

CARAMELS

Carmel vs. Caramel?  Have you ever wondered which one is the correct pronunciation?  I hear it both ways all the time.  So, I "googled" carmel and it brings up a whole bunch of towns/places, if i search carmel recipe it switches my search to caramel recipe.  So, I looked them up in the dictionary and come to find out "caramel" is correct, not "carmel".  So, all of my recipes where I have written carmel are incorrect.  Oh well, who really cares right, but now you know.

The holidays just wouldn't be complete without some homemade caramel.  This is the second year I have made this caramel recipe.  I love the flavor and consistency of it.  If you cook it to the right temperature, you will have soft and creamy caramels.  They are soft, but still hold their shape and they are not so chewy that you have to worry they will pull out your fillings  (not saying you have fillings).  They are just perfect all around.  The brown sugar gives them a deep, rich flavor.  It also needs very minimal stirring, so you don't have to stand over the stove sweating and hoping your arm doesn't fall off.  I also use this recipe for homemade turtles and for caramel and chocolate pretzel rods.  Note:  I think this caramel is perfect at 236-238 degrees (for high altitude), but Sister's Cafe thinks that is too soft, so you will just have to decide how you prefer your caramels.    

Caramel

adapted from: Sister's Cafe

1/2 c. butter, no substitutes

1 1/2 c. light corn syrup

2 c. light brown sugar

1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

toasted pecans, optional

Melt butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add corn syrup, brown sugar and 3/4 cup of the heavy cream.  Cook over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until thermometer reaches 224 degrees.  Gradually add the remaining 3/4 cup cream.  Turn stove to medium and continue to cook.  Use a pastry brush dipped in water to wash down the sugar crystals on the sides of the pan.  Don't worry about drops of water getting in the caramel, it will boil off.  Cook until reaches desired consistency. (I personally think for high altitude, 236-238 degrees is perfect.  I use my candy thermometer for an estimate of the temperature, but I always use the ice cube test to know for sure.  When the thermometer is getting close to 236 degrees, I take a spoonful of the caramel and pour it into a glass that has a few ice cubes in it, I wait a few seconds, then take that caramel and roll it into a ball.  I hold it out on my palm and if it holds its shape and doesn't flatten out, but you can easily flatten it if you press it down, then it is ready.  If it slowly flattens out, then it is not quite done).  

When reaches desired consistency, remove from heat and add the vanilla and pecans.  Stir to combine.  Pour into a well greased 9x13 pan.  Let caramel cool completely.  Once it is set up, cut into pieces and wrap in wax paper. Note: this caramel needs very minimal stirring.          

PHAT COW FUDGE

Don't be surprised if you make a batch of this fudge and discover you have way more friends than you used to!  It's that good.  This is a perfect Holiday Gift for your neighbors, friends and co-workers.  I promise that whoever you give this to will love you forever.  

In case you couldn't tell, this is my absolute favorite fudge recipe ever.  The best part is that no candy thermometer is required!  Hooray! I have messed up several other fudge recipes where either the sugar doesn't dissolve properly and it turns out grainy or it never sets up properly or where it turns too hard, but you don't have to worry about any of that with this recipe.  There is no way you could mess it up if you follow the directions.  The end result is so smooth and creamy and just melts in your mouth and I could easily eat 10 pieces of this is a row.  Plus, if you put it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge, it will last for a really long time and still taste delicious.      

Phat Cow Fudge

adapted from: Barbara W.

(Printable Recipe)

20 oz. Hershey's® milk chocolate bars, broken into pieces

1 (12 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. (2 cubes) butter, cut into pieces- No substitutes

4 c. sugar

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

2 1/2 c. mini marshmallows

4 c. frozen mini marshmallows

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Lb. walnuts, chopped, opt.

Place four cups of mini marshmallows into the freezer.  In a large bowl, prepare  broken milk chocolate bars, chocolate chips and butter pieces; set aside.  In a large pan, combine sugar, evaporated milk and 2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows.  Bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring constantly, then, continue to cook and stir at a light boil for 7 minutes.  Remove from heat and immediately pour over the chocolate/butter mixture.  With a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until the chocolate is melted and loses its shine (Don't worry if it looks separated, just keep stirring).  Stir in the vanilla.  Add the frozen marshmallows and walnuts.  Spread into a buttered cookie sheet.  Cool completely.  Cut into pieces and serve.  Store in an airtight plastic container.    

KNEADERS SUGAR COOKIES

I cannot believe that I found this recipe!!  The other day at work, we were talking about how much we love Kneaders sugar cookies and wished we could get our hands on the famous recipe.  So, yesterday, I decided why not try to search the internet (I really didn't think I would find anything), but I found the recipe on a local news station's website. Could it be real?  


If you live in Utah, you most likely have eaten something from Kneaders.  It is a bakery & cafe that serves all types of homemade breads, sweets, sandwiches, soups, salads and more.  So so good.  

Well, I couldn't wait any longer, I had to make these cookies.  I decided to cut the recipe in half, just in case they didn't turn out.  Also, they use a powdered lemon flavoring in both the cookies and the icing and since I didn't have any of that I substituted lemon extract in the cookies and went with vanilla extract in the icing, because Jake is not a huge lemon person and I wanted him to eat these cookies with me, so I wouldn't eat them all myself.  Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly.  I was careful not to add too much flour, so they wouldn't be dry.  


The end result, the most amazing sugar cookies ever!!!!  Seriously, this is my new go-to recipe.  I am going to play around with the icing a little bit to see if I can come up with something slightly different, but oh man, these cookies are so soft and fat and melt in your mouth amazing!!  I am not sure how many it makes, because I made big, medium and small cookies and with half a batch, I had three cookie sheets worth.  Do yourself a favor, go make these right now!  

Kneaders Sugar Cookies

adapted from: here

(Printable Recipe)

2 c. butter, softened

2 1/4 c. sugar

4 Lg. eggs, lightly beaten

1 c. milk

7 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. lemon flavor

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 Tbl. honey

Icing:

4 1/2 c. powdered sugar

4 Tbl. corn syrup

3 Tbl. milk

1/4 tsp. lemon flavor

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs and then milk.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Dough will be soft and sticky.  Place dough on a well floured surface.  Knead in just enough flour to make dough workable.  Dough will be very soft.  It is best to knead with a rolling pin motion so you have a smooth surface and you will not get cracks on top of your cookies.  Gently roll out to 3/8 inch thick.  Cut into desired shapes and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes (mine took 13) or until edges barely start to change colors.  Cool. 

For the icing: mix together all ingredients until smooth.  Dip cookies in icing and hold upside down to allow excess to drip off.  Let harden.   

PUMPKIN PIE CAKE

This cake is, by far, MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE PUMPKIN DESSERT EVER!!!  There is just something about it that is so comforting.  It has the perfect textures and combination of spices.  Oh and don't forget the amazing streusel topping.  I love sitting down on a cold day and eating a warm piece of this cake with a little Cool Whip on top.  Pure heaven!  I always eat this cake warm, just zap it in the microwave for 15 seconds or so, top with Cool Whip or whipping cream and enjoy.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

From: Sharon H. (Mom)

(Printable Recipe)

1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 c. margarine
2 c. canned pumpkin
3/4 c. sugar
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon


Reserve 1 cup cake mix; set aside.  Combine remaining cake mix, 1 egg and 1/2 cup melted margarine.  Spread into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Mix canned milk, pumpkin, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, ginger and cloves.  Beat until fluffy.  Pour over crust.  Combine reserved cake mix, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon.  Cut in remaining 1/2 cup margarine until it is about the size of peas.  Sprinkle topping over pumpkin filling.  Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  Serve warm with Cool Whip or whipping cream.