Death by S'mores Bars

I think that s'mores are the perfect dessert. I always have a chocolate bar, graham crackers, and marshmallows on hand just in case I need a go to dessert. These bars, however, are better. The crust is amazing and I might have to use it for other treats as well. It is like a fluffy, buttery, graham cracker slash cookie dough crust (yes I said "slash" not as pathetic as my poor food picture). When you take the buttery, yummy crust, top it with dark chocolate (that's how I roll), smear it with gooey marshmallow creme, with a final layer of the graham cracker dough it seemed like I was nailing the last nail in my coffin. These flavors work so well together, but as a bar, it is ten times better.

Needless to say my mom and I ate the whole pan in a day. Yum!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized Hershey's milk chocolate bars (if you want a more subtle chocolate flavor use regular sized chocolate bars; enough to fit) I used dark chocolate bars :)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (7 1/2 oz jar)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.

3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff. This part can be tricky. I made little disks with the dough and formed them into a sheet on some parchment paper then transferred it over. Spread it around gently.

4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
Makes 16 cookie bars (or one giant one serving size bar if you are me).

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

German Chocolate Cake with Cheesecake Center

This is a classic with a twist. It is mostly easy and very delicious!

Ingredients for the cake:
1 box of German Chocolate Cake mix
4 eggs (not kidding) plus whatever the cake mix needs
2 pkgs of cream cheese softened
1 1/2 cups sugar

Directions:
Mix cake mix as directed. In another bowl blend cream cheese, eggs, and sugar. Grease 9 x 13 pan and pour in 1/2 cake mix, then cream cheese mixture, and top with remaining cake mix. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool before frosting.

For Frosting:
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Combine in sauce pan sugar, butter, evaporated milk, and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Fold in coconut and pecans. Pour and spread over cake. Serve and enjoy! It won't last long!



Before the frosting makeover ( I shaved off the uneven parts for an even topping)


After!

Easy Mint Cake

Mint is always a good idea in my book. This cake is light on the mint side, but refreshing enough to make your day. This is also a great cake to make for someone. I made two. One for my big belly and one for the dental office I took my toddler to. Enjoy!

Crème De Menthe Cake

Ingredients:
1 white cake mix
3 1/2 TBS crème de mentheliquor
1 tub of cool whip
1 jar of chocolate ice cream topping (I used hot fudge)

Mix cake mix as directed on box. Add 2 Tablespoons of crème de menthe liquor. Mix and bake as directed. Spread hot fudge while cake is still warm and allow to cool. Mix remaining 1 1/2 Tablespoons of crème de menthe to cool whip, mix, and spread on top. Place in fridge until cool and keep in fridge in between servings. Let me know if it rocks your world like it does mine. Didn't think it would be that easy? Stay tuned! There is more where that came from!

Morning Sickness Brownie Dessert

Thank you so much for your support in the joy of motherhood and pregnancy. I realize I am not the first or the last to suffer from the symptom of morning sickness and therefore should not be given any extra sympathy. However, it is such a peculiar problem. On one hand it gives me the joyful reminder that there is a baby growing and developing inside of me. On the other hand I have to ask why does this have to be a possible side effect to the greatest gift on earth? While I am on the subject, why the strong sense of smell? Isn't that just uncanny to have a terrific nose and a queasy stomach? Either way it is humbling and heaven knows I am always in need of that.

In a world of so many advances ie; "There's an APP for that!". Sadly there isn't an IPhone App for morning sickness. There doesn't seem to be a cure anywhere. That truly is OK. However, for someone who loves food so much it is hilarious to me and I am sure annoying to others ( spouse mostly) how much I do not like food now. My own little cure seems to be sweets and fried foods. Besides the obvious problems with that, the looming threat of gestational diabetes makes me hope this doesn't last. While I look forward to feeling good again, I will revel in my sweets and try to share them with you.

This is a new favorite at my house. While it is so easy even a lazy pregnant person can make it, it tastes as though your favorite sit down restaurant just made it and charged you an arm and a leg for it. You can make it and feed about 6-8 people for about 6 dollars total.

Sure you can find a recipe for Cheesecake brownies. Might I suggest just using this:

Make as directed and while the brownies are slightly cooling prepare your Cook and Serve chocolate pudding that looks like this:
You just follow the directions by mixing the contents with two cups of milk and stirring while it comes to a boil. It thickens as it boils. I like to keep it fairly thin in consistency so when it comes to a boil I take it off the burner quickly. Serve up one slice of brownie (generous if you are giving it to me), top with one scoop of vanilla ice cream (before my current state I made this with homemade vanilla ice cream), and top with the hot fudgy sauce.

Let me tell you how impressed my visitors have been with this treat. It looks simple because it is, but it tastes divine. The hot pudding sauce melts through the ice cream just enough to compliment the brownie with the perfect creaminess of flavor. Sounds too sweet? No way! With the cheescake topping to the brownie it is a perfectly well rounded dessert! It is my husband's new favorite dessert as well as for baby #2! Serve and enjoy!

Chocolate Cake Is Always In Season

Right?
My sister made this recently and I just had to share. I will say that she spent about 40 dollars on ingredients because she used expensive cocoa. You can find higher quality at your local whole foods or specialty stores. If you are going to take the time to make such a creation, you should splurge on some good cocoa. It just melts in your mouth. Nothing like a sister to make my favorite meal. Nice sisters and good chocolate cake just go together. Yum!


Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups good cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup brewed coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 1 (4 by 3-inch) cake pan, 1 (6 by 3-inch) cake pan and 1 (8 by 3-inch) cake pan. Line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on high speed until light, approximately 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Combine the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. On low speed, add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture alternately in thirds, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix the batter only until blended.

Divide the batter between the 3 pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake on the middle rack of the oven as follows: for the 4-inch pan 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean; for the 6-inch pan 70 to 75 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean; and for the 8-inch pan 85 to 90 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes each on a cooling rack, carefully remove from the pans and allow to finish cooling.

Place the 8-inch cake on a serving plate, flat side up. Frost the top of that layer with buttercream. Place the 6-inch cake in the center of the top of the 8-inch cake, flat-side up, and frost the top and sides. Place the 4-inch cake in the center of the top of the 6-inch cake, flat side down. Frost the top and sides of that layer with buttercream. Spread any remaining buttercream over the cake evenly.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

1 pound bittersweet chocolate
12 ounces semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup egg whites (4 to 5 extra-large eggs), at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chop the chocolates and place them in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan simmering water. Stir until melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

Mix the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Place the bowl of egg whites over the pan of simmering water and heat the egg whites until they are warm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Return the bowl to the electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 5 minutes, or until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak.

Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate, vanilla,and mix for 1 minute or until the chocolate is completely blended in. If the buttercream seems very soft, allow it to cool, and beat it again.

Spread on cake, serve, and enjoy!

Simple Sunday Part One : Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

I unintentionally had a theme today. The theme was to use very little ingredients, but have a lot of taste!
First I made dessert. It is a good idea to make dessert first. It gives you something to nibble on while you are waiting for dinner to be done.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies


Ingredients:
Take the above ingredients and mix together that is it!
1 can of Pumpkin
1 box of Spice Cake Mix
2 cups (more if you are me!) of chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Ignore directions on the box and simply add the pumpkin to the dry ingredients and stir together until thoroughly mixed. Add chocolate chips. Place ice cream scoop size dollops on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes. It is really that easy and delicious! Serve and Enjoy!