Category: Desserts

Raspberry Poke Cake


This is an easy and absolutely delicious cake to make for the holidays. The jello/gelatin makes it incredibly moist and flavorful! You can switch out the raspberry mix with strawberry or whatever flavor suits your fancy.

Original recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

  • 1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist Vanilla cake mix (or white cake mix)
  • Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
  • 1 box (4-serving size) raspberry-flavored gelatin
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 1 container Betty Crocker cream cheese frosting (or thawed whipped cream topping)
  • Raspberries and/or blueberries (optional)

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350F (or 325F for dark or nonstick pan).
  2. Spray bottom of pan with cooking spray; make and cool cake as directed on box for 13×9-inch pan
  3. Pierce cooled cake all over, but not all the way to the bottom, with fork (or use a skewer or handle of a wooden spoon).
  4. In a small bowl, stir gelatin and boiling water until smooth & dissolved; add in cold water.
  5. Pour liquid over cake carefully (I highly recommend using a turkey baster or spout measuring cup).
  6. Refrigerate 2-3 hours.
  7. Frost & garnish (if desired).
  8. Store covered in refrigerator.

Note: to make this even more festive for the 4th of July, Labor Day and/or Memorial Day, use berries to design an American flag on top of frosting RIGHT before serving (putting the raspberries or strawberries on way beforehand will result in the juice bleeding with the frosting).

Chocolate Scotcheroos


A scrumptious dessert with Rice Krispies, chocolate, peanut butter and butterscotch.

Before measuring the corn syrup, coat your measuring cup with cooking spray — the syrup will pour easily out of the cup.  

Recipe courtesy of Kellogg’s.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 6 cups Rice Krispies (or Cocoa Rice Krispies)
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips (or peanut butter chips)

Directions

  1. Place corn syrup and sugar in 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil.
  2. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and mix well.
  3. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well-coated.
  4. Press mixture into 13x9x2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside.
  5. Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips in 1-quart saucepan over low-heat, stirring constantly.
  6. Spread evenly over cereal mixture. Let stand until firm.
  7. Cut into 2×1 inch bars when cool.

S’mores Brownies


I think the name says it all! Yum! While this recipe can be made entirely by scratch, I am going to give you the shorter/quicker/easier version so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time outdoors enjoying summer & BBQ season.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 box Betty Crocker Original Supreme brownie mix (w/chocolate syrup pouch)
  • Water, vegetable oil and eggs, needed for brownie mix
  • 3 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. For the crust, put graham crackers in a large Ziploc bag & crush them with a rolling-pin or skillet until they’re fine crumbs. You can also simplify this by purchasing a box of graham cracker crumbs.
  3. In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased, 8×8 inch baking dish.
  4. Bake the crust until slightly darkened & firm to touch, approx. 8-10 minutes.
  5. Remove crust from the oven & reduce temperature to 325F.
  6. Make the brownies according to box directions.
  7. Pour brownie batter over the graham cracker crust & bake 35-40 minutes, making sure not to overbake. Note: a toothpick stuck into the brownie will not some out clean when done cooking. You want to have a center that’s texture is similar to fudge.
  8. Remove the brownies from the oven & allow to cool before topping with marshmallows. Note: this is a good time to cut the brownies, as it can get a bit messy with the melted marshmallows.
  9. Set oven to broil & carefully position rack about 6 inches from the broiler.
  10. Top brownies with marshmallows (use more if you like) and heat 20-30 seconds until marshmallows are golden brown. Watch very carefully as it can go quick & you want to avoid burning.

Cupcakes!


For those of you that don’t know me personally, I’ll fill you in on one of my passions… cupcakes. Specifically, mini-cupcakes (aka little cakes). I love making them about as much as I enjoy eating them. I recently made these marble cupcakes, which basically just consists of devil’s food cake and yellow cake, swirled. Since time was a factor, I “cheated” and used two cake mixes and two containers of frosting (one chocolate and one vanilla), instead of making them from scratch.

Ingredients

  • 1 box Betty Crocker Devil’s Food cake mix
  • 1 box Betty Crocker Yellow cake mix
  • 6 eggs
  • 2/3 cup oil
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1 container Betty Crocker Chocolate frosting
  • 1 container Betty Crocker Vanilla frosting

Directions

  1. Follow directions on cake mix, which includes oven temp and baking time.
  2. Cool cupcakes completely.
  3. Frost using a mix of chocolate and vanilla frosting. I used a decorator’s bag and tip to get a unique blend of the two frostings and the grooved design pictured above. Of course, you can simply use a knife and just use a little bit of both frostings.

Nectarines Poached in Lavender-Honey Syrup


Are you aware of the difference between nectarines and peaches? If not, here’s a little intel on them: Nectarines can be used in the same way as peaches, and may be considered as substitutes for peaches. The only difference between peaches and nectarines is the lack of fuzz on the nectarine skin. Nectarines tend to be smaller and more aromatic than peaches and have more red color on the fruit surface. Fresh peaches provide respectable amounts of the antioxidant vitamins A and C, in addition to potassium and fiber. Nectarines provide twice the vitamin A, slightly more vitamin C, and much more potassium than peaches.

With that being said, this dessert is amazingly tasty and one you should try!

Ingredients

  • 4 cups water
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 2 tsp dried lavender buds
  • 6 nectarines, halved & pitted (about 1 1/2 lbs)
  • 6 cups vanilla low-fat frozen yogurt
  • Fresh lavender sprigs (optional)

Directions

  1. Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven, stirring to dissolve sugar.
  2. Stir in lavender buds.
  3. Add nectarines. Reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes or until nectarines are just tender (do not overcook).
  4. Remove nectarines from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving liquid in pan. Bring liquid to a boil, and cook until reduced to 3 cups (about 10 minutes). Cool slightly.
  5. Serve syrup with nectarines and yogurt.
  6. Garnish with fresh lavender, if desired.
Source: Cooking Light

Unbelievable Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars


I went back to work today after being out for four months due to back surgery. I knew I wanted to bring in a tasty treat for my co-workers, just to remind them how much they missed me 😉 I contemplated making one of my delicious cupcake recipes, but decided to take it up a notch with these cheesecake bars… and am so glad I did. They were loved by all!

Ingredients

Crust

  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
  • 2 1/4 cups finely ground graham crackers (from about 17 whole graham crackers)
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

  • 3 (8 oz) packages Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup purchased dulce de leche*
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze

  • 2/3 cup purchased dulce de leche
  • 3 tbsp (or more) heavy whipping cream

*A thick, sweet sauce made from caramelized sugar in milk or from sweetened condensed milk; available at some supermarkets and specialty foods stores and at Latin markets.

Directions

Crust

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Coat 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray.
  3.  Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in medium bowl.
  4. Add melted butter; stir until coated.
  5. Transfer crumb mixture to pan. Press evenly onto bottom of pan.
  6.  Bake until crust is light golden, about 10 minutes.
  7. Cool completely on rack.

Filling

  1. Blend cream cheese and sugar in bowl with mixer until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl.
  2. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating 3 to 5 seconds to blend between additions.
  3. Add dulce de leche and vanilla; mix until blended, about 10 seconds.
  4. Spread batter evenly over cooled crust.
  5. Bake until just set in center and edges are puffed and slightly cracked, about 38 minutes.
  6. Transfer to rack; cool completely.

Glaze

  1. Heat dulce de leche and 3 tbsp cream in microwave-safe bowl in 10-second intervals until melted.
  2. Stir to blend, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if too thick to pour (amount of cream needed will depend on brand of dulce de leche).
  3. Pour glaze over cooled cheesecake; spread evenly.
  4. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour (glaze will not be firm). Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill.

Cut cheesecake lengthwise into 4 strips, then crosswise into 6 strips, forming 24 bars.

Classic Lemon Bars


Recipe courtesy of Food Network Mag

Ingredients

Crust

  • Vegetable oil, for greasing
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, diced
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Filling

  • 4 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 tsp grated lemon zest
  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 8 lemons)

Directions

  1. Make the crust: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
  2. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with vegetable oil and line with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; grease the foil with oil.
  3. Pulse the butter, flour, both sugars and the salt in a food processor until the dough comes together, about 1 minute.
  4. Press evenly into the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides of the prepared pan, making sure there are no cracks.
  5. Bake until the crust is golden, about 25 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk the whole eggs and yolks, sugar and flour in a bowl until smooth.
  7. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice.
  8. Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the temperature to 300 degrees F.
  9. Pour the filling over the warm crust and return to the oven.
  10. Bake until the filling is just set, 30 to 35 minutes.
  11. Let the bars cool in the pan on a rack, then refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
  12. Lift out of the pan using the foil and slice.
  13. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving

Simply Sorbet


So, do you all know the difference between sorbet and sherbet? Sherbet contains milk or another fat, making it similar to ice cream. With that being said, obviously sorbet is great for people who are lactose-intolerant. And with just a small number of ingredients, it is truly a breeze to make.  My recipe below is for strawberry sorbet, but feel free to use your favorite fruit instead.

Recipe courtesty of Cooking Light

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup sugar (you can use less if you like)
  • 1 quart strawberries, hulled
  • 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (or lime juice)

Directions

  1. Stir water and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over high heat until sugar dissolves.
  2. Boil 5 minutes.
  3. Working in batches, puree strawberries in food processor or blender until smooth.
  4. Add strawberry puree and orange & lemon juices to sugar syrup, stir to blend.
  5.  Cover and freeze in an airtight container(s).

To soften sorbet, place in fridge for 15 minutes.

Taking this to a higher level of dessert awesomeness, you can use your sorbet to make a pie. Here’s how: spread slightly softened sorbet into a cookie-crumb or graham cracker crust, then freeze until firm. Top with a thin layer of whipped cream and sprinkle with chocolate shavings or add some fresh berries.

Creamy Vanilla Cheesecake w/Caramel Topping


Love to indulge in the sweets, but feel guilty about the calories? You won’t with this recipe! A healthier, lower-calorie take on cheesecake 🙂

Photo credit: Betty Crocker

Ingredients

  • 15 reduced-fat chocolate or vanilla wafer cookies, crushed (1/2 cup) (or graham crackers)
  • 2 pkgs (8 oz each) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 3 egg whites
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups vanilla low-fat/light yogurt
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup fat-free caramel topping
  • Pecan halves (if desired)

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 300. Spray springform pan, 9×3 inches, with cooking spray.
  2. Sprinkle cookie crumbs over bottom of pan.
  3. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl w/electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
  4. Add sugar, egg whites and vanilla. Beat on medium speed about 2 minutes or until smooth.
  5. Add yogurt and flour. Beat on low until smooth.
  6. Carefully spread batter over cookie crumbs in pan.
  7. Bake 1 hour. Turn off oven; cool in over 30 minutes with door closed.
  8. Cover & refrigerate at least 3 hours. Drizzle caramel topping over cheesecake and garnish w/pecan halves.

1 serving: Cal 175, Total Fat 7 g, Chol 25 mg, Sodium 180 mg, Total Carbs 23 g, Protein 5 g