{ Peach Coffee Cake }

Sorry, I've been MIA lately. Last week was Vacation Bible School at our church. Then, sadly, this Sunday our beloved Luna Dog ran away. We've spend the entire week looking for her and hanging up fliers.

It's been three days now, but we are trying not to give up hope. I keep hearing all these inspiring stories about dogs that have made their way back home days, weeks, even months later. I really hope she's one of those. We miss her and her silly personality so, so much.

So, I've been a little preoccupied.

*Update: Luna was found exactly one week later less than a mile from home :)

I did make a dessert for Father's Day that I'm just getting around to posting.

It was quick and easy, and was a huge hit with everyone. Especially hubs. This may be his new favorite thing!

It doesn't take long at all to make, and it's very tasty.

It has peaches and streusel, what could be better than that??

Not much.

Tina



Peach Coffee Cake
by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

For the cake:
1 box yellow cake mix & ingredients listed on back, less the water
2 - 15 to 16 oz cans of yellow cling peach slices in heavy syrup

Preheat oven to 350, grease a 13x9 pan and set aside.

Drain peach juice into a bowl. Using the measurement listed on the back of the cake mix box, use the peach juice in place of the water called for. Mix in other ingredients listed on back of box. Cut peaches down, but do not dice. Stir into cake mix. Pour into pan. Top with streusel.

For the streusel:
1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) cold butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup quick oats

1/2 cup flour

Cut the dry ingredients into the cold butter with a pastry cutter or fork (or you can use a food processor), until the mixture resembles peas. Sprinkle over cake.

Bake according to back of box.

Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

{ Maple & Brown Sugar Cupcakes }

Friday night was an awesome time for our youth group. I posted a few months ago about our youth pastor leaving to move to California. Once there, he thought he would not be able to come home for an entire year. I'd been telling the kids this since he moved. Though his amazing wife was able to come home for Christmas, he couldn't due to his new job. A few weeks ago however, he got the OK for a few days off work. He was coming home for a weekend! The kids knew nothing of this. At our event on Friday night, in he walked. It was so much fun to see their reactions. At first they were just stunned (except one of our girls who immediately ran across the room and, well, basically tackled him), then they quickly crowded around him.

I loved seeing them with him again. It's only been six months, but for a teenager, that is a long time (if we are being totally up front here, it seemed like a really long time to me too!). They played Ultimate Frisbee with him, then the gathered around and listened to him talk about his life and new job in California.

Sunday morning he led worship and then preached to our teens. There may have been a slight bit of bragging on his part, "I moved to California... and had NO snow".  Polar Vortex here and he had 84 degrees and sunny.  WHAT. EVER. Rude.

It's really amazing to see how much one person can change people's lives.

They all love him so much. And, eh, I think he's ok too.

Ha.

Anyway, many cupcakes were consumed Friday night. I'd make about 78. Then, I made him another dozen and a half yesterday, because California is far and 6 months is long.

Since he told me my cupcakes were better than Casey's Cupcakes out there in LA, well... I kinda had to right? ( I made his favorite cream filled cupcakes .) Fact is, he and his wife have me wrapped pretty tight. You'd understand if you met them. ;)

These cupcakes are actually some they've not had. (However, you know if they ask when they come back in September, I will totally make them, right?).

I LOVE maple. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. So, yeah. Maple and brown sugar cupcakes seem like they need to be in this world, right?

And so it was.

Maple cupcakes with a brown sugar buttercream.

Because I said so.

Tina





Maple & Brown Sugar Cupcakes

Cupcakes
4 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons maple flavoring
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 16 pieces

Preheat oven to 350 F

Line cupcake pans with paper liners, set aside

In a large measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, milk, and maple flavoring; set aside.
In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the butter one piece at a time, mixing until the dough comes together and looks sandy.

Add about 1 cup of the egg mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated, then increase to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy. Slowly add the remaining egg mixture, with the mixer on low speed, until incorporated. Scrape the bowl, if necessary, then increase speed to medium-high and beat for about 20 seconds. The batter will just barely look a little curdled.
Divide that batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. Frost with Brown Sugar Buttercream, then sprinkle with a bit of brown sugar.

Brown Sugar Buttercream:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 lb. (about 4 cups) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

With mixer, beat butter for 3 minutes. Beat in brown sugar. Slowly add powdered sugar and salt until well combined. Add 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Beat on high for 4 minutes. Add in vanilla. If too thick, add more cream 1/2 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency.


Cake & Buttercream adapted from Bakingdom

{ Birthday Cake Pancakes }

 

Today is my Bean's 17th birthday. What? WHAT??!! 

17? I'm not even sure what to do with that.

This evening we are off to dinner of his choosing, but this morning, well, he had to go to school. To start his birthday off right though, I made him not only pancakes, but birthday cake pancakes.

These are basically my Grandmother in Law's pancakes, which you can find here, with a scoop of  yellow cake mix, sprinkles, vanilla, and a delicious glaze.

To make things quicker in the morning, I measure out all of the dry ingredients in a lidded mixing bowl. Then I just mix in the wet, combine well, and lastly, add the sprinkles. Be sure to wait til just before frying to add the sprinkles. The colors may start to streak in the batter.

This is a fast, fun, and festive take on pancakes. Perfect for special occasions.

Did Bean like them? He said, and I quote, "I feel bad for all of the other pancakes now.". Yeah, he liked them.

Here is his trying to think of a wish.

17 sure is crazy, but now, we all know, the Trace has broken and he can practice magic outside of Hogwarts, so, there's that. Carry on.

Happy Birthday to my Bean!

Love, kisses, and pancakes,

Mom



Birthday Cake Pancakes 

yield 6 medium sized pancakes

by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

For the pancakes:

1/2 Cup Flour

1/4 cup yellow cake mix

1 1/2 Teaspoons Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Egg

2/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon Oil

2-3 Tablespoons rainbow sprinkles

Add all dry ingredients, except sprinkles, into a mixing bowl and set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Slowly pour the wet into the dry and mix until combined. Add the sprinkles just before frying. Stir gently to avoid streaking of the colors.

Pour a bit of oil into your pan and let heat. Drip a drop of the batter into the oil. When it begins to sizzle, add your pancakes.

When bubbles form on the cakes, carefully flip them over.

Test center by poking a small hole in it. If batter comes out, cook another minute or so.

Place on a paper towel just for a second to absorb any extra oil, then place on plate and serve!

This is a small recipe, it makes about 6 medium sized pancakes, easily doubled, tripled, etc.

Serve with vanilla glaze

For the Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

2  Tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon rainbow sprinkles

Add powered sugar and milk to melted butter. Whisk until smooth and glossy. Add vanilla and stir until combined. Gently fold in sprinkles to avoid streaking.

Serve over Birthday Cake Pancakes

{Nutella Krispy Treats}

I really hate spoilers. Yet, I somehow end up always being the spoiled one. I think it's written somewhere, "And Tina shall have all the shows cast upon her spoiled. And so it was."

It's not even just shows. I knew about Snape killing Dumbledore before the book release. I looked Rory Williams up on wiki before we saw the Doctor Who episodes with him as a companion. I ended up finding out basically the entire story arch. That stuff is never supposed to be in the opening lines of a wiki article, people. I searched (I'm not sure what now), something entirely innocent having to do with The Walking Dead, and ended up finding out who survives the comic book series. I knew what happened this season on Downton Abbey with Anna. I knew how Breaking Bad ended. I'm just a spoiler magnet. No fair! *pouts*

A couple weeks ago I googled Call The Midwife to see when Series 3 was arriving on PBS. It was last night. DON'T GOOGLE CALL THE MIDWIFE. The first return is a spoiler for the season finale. Thank you very much Huff Post UK. Now, I don't know how this said spoiler happens, but I know too much. Blergh.

Yes, I'll still watch, but still. Hmph.

Call The Midwife, if you don't know, is an EXCELLENT show. It's a BBC show, but much like Downton, it doesn't come to BBCA, but to PBS here in the States. The first 2 series (seasons) of the show are on Netflix streaming. Watch ittttt.

The show is about Midwives in London's East End during the 50's. I love it.

Anyway, after spoilers, I need snacks, because who doesn't.

Here's a quick and easy way to dress up some Krispy Treats... Nutella!

It takes Krispy Treats to the next level. Drizzle with chocolate to make them even more 'gourmet'. ;)

And yes, I totally think Krispy Treats can be gourmet. Gourmet doesn't mean hard, it means amazing!

Krispy Treats are anything but hard, of course!

You know what's hard?

Me avoiding spoilers...

Tina


Nutella Krispy Treats

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
10 ounces marshmallows
6 cups crispy rice cereal (for extra chocolatey, use cocoa rice cereal)
1/2 cup Nutella

melted chocolate for drizzling

In a large sauce pan over low heat, melt the butter. Add in marshmallows, and stir constantly until fully melted. Mix in nutella. Pour in cereal, and toss until evenly coated. Pour into 9x13 baking dish prepared with cooking spray and press into pan. When cooled, turn out onto foil and drizzle with melted chocolate.

{ Coffee House Cupcakes }

I hate my phone company.

I'm one of the few people left in the world that has that archaic thing known as a 'land line'. Ever heard of it? It's the kind of phone your granny used, remember now?

For the last 3 weeks we've had static on our line. Not just a little buzz buzz, but static so loud you can hear nothing else. This also makes our DSL go out. Look, no one messes with my internet. I need things. I must talk to people. I must window shop at Amazon. I must research things. I. MUST. This is important lifing, people!

I've called the phone company 4 different times. Twice they've been out to 'fix' it. Whenever he shows up, nothing is wrong. Why you mess with me Gods of the Phone Line? What did I ever do but love you?

The other day, I called and they were too overloaded to take my call. Please press one to have an operator call you back.

It went something like this:

Presses One

Thank you for calling Your Crappy Phone Company, have a great day...

Dial Tone (well, cells don't have dial tone, but I'm adding it for dramatic effect)

TINA HULK RAGE

Yesterday I called back again, and they won't be here to fix my, nearly month old, problem for three days.

You know those moments in life when you just NEED a cupcake? Not WANT a cupcake. NEED.

Yeah. This was one of them.

These are what I like to call Coffee House Cupcakes. They are infused with coffee and cinnamon and topped with a chai buttercream. Just to top it all, I added a little grated chocolate to the tops... Because.

I LOVE chai. If you do too, solider on with me.

If you've never had Chai, well, it's spicy. Almost a little fall like in flavor. A good chai latte can totally make my day. I'm easy like that.

A chai latte doesn't actually have coffee in it, but I added just a bit to the cupcakes to really bring out the chocolate flavor.

I may have eaten two of these the other day after my Hulk Rage.

It may have happened.

Tina

Want MORE coffee house style treats? You KNOW you do! Head over to my friend Darla's place at Bakingdom and check out her amazing Espresso Cookie Butter Rice Crispy Treats! YUM-MAY.



Coffee House Cupcakes
by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

Preheat oven to 350* F

Prepare  tins with cupcake liners

For the cupcakes:
1 box dark chocolate cake mix
Ingredients listed on box to make the cake, less 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup brewed and cooled coffee
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix cake according to box, except use 1/4 cup of coffee in place of 1/4 cup of the water.
Add in cinnamon, beat until distributed.

Scoop into liners and bake according to box


For the Buttercream:
2 sticks butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2-4 Tablespoons brewed and chilled chai tea

Beat butter on high for about 3 minutes. Slowly add in powdered sugar and salt, beat until well combined. Add the vanilla and mix. Starting with 2 tablespoons, mix in the chai tea. If too thick add more, a little at a time until you reach desired consistency.

{Soft Peppermint Sugar Cookies}

I know what you are thinking. You think I've lost my mind. "Christmas was LAST month, Tina!". I can hear you all now.

I know, I know, but I had all these leftover candy canes. Surely I'm not the only one?

Who made up the rule that peppermint is only a Christmas treat anyway? I say NUH UH.

I'm a big fan of all things minty, as long as they aren't TOOOO minty. I like mild mint. That's a thing right? Like mild salsa? If not, it should be. Tic Tacs, yes. Starlite mints, yes. Altoids, no.

My hubs is a big fan of mints too. A couple Christmases ago, he even came up with the idea of rolling Snickerdoodles in candy canes instead of cinnamon sugar. You can see those cookies here. The day after Christmas, he saw the pile of candy canes on the kitchen counter and asked if I could make some peppermint cookies. Normally I do this every year. This year, as I posted about, was CUH-RAY-ZEE for me, so I didn't get them made. I kept thinking I'd get them made, but days turned into weeks, and then.... suddenly it's late January.

While we were snowed in this weekend, I finally got around to it. I used a basic sugar cookie dough, added crushed candy canes (starlite mints will work too!), iced with buttercream, and topped with more crushed canes and some coarse sugar.

Easy and oh so yum.

I don't even care it's January. If you make them, you won't either. Sugar cookie goooooooood. Buttercream goooooooood. Peppermint goooooooood.

Peppermint Sugar Cookies? Goooooooood.

Eat up, my friends.

Tina



Peppermint Sugar Cookies


Cookies:
adapted from Bakingdom's Sugar Cookie Recipe

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
2 crushed candy canes or 6 starlite mints

Buttercream Icing:
slightly adapted from Bakingdom

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
pinch teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoons vanilla extract


Topping:

1 crushed candy cane or 3 starlite mints
2 teaspoons of coarse sugar



For the cookies:

Mix together flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and put aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with mixer. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Add in the vanilla. Pour the flour mixture in, a little at a time, until it is mixed thoroughly. Mix in the 2 crushed candy canes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours (or overnight).

While rolling, preheat oven to 400. Prepare baking sheet with silpat, parchment, or ungreased.

Roll the chilled dough out on a floured surface. For these, I rolled the dough to about 1/4" so they would be soft and fat. Cut to desired shapes with cookie cutters. Dust off excess flour with pastry brush before baking.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges just begin to brown. Allow to cool before icing.


For the Buttercream Icing:
Beat butter with mixer for 3 minutes. Slowly add in sugar & pinch of salt and beat until combined. Pour in 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Beat for 4 minutes until light and fluffy. If too thick, add more cream, a little at a time. Stir in vanilla.

Spread on cooled cookies.

For the topping:
Mix together, sprinkle on top of iced cookies

{ Maple Coffee Crumb Cake }

We really LOVE the movie Elf. I remember when we went to see it in the theater. Bean was 6 years old. We went the weekend it opened, which was still early in November. I couldn't help it, I REALLY wanted to see that movie. Bean? Oh, yeah, he wanted to see it too. Whatevs.

We had a huge wind storm that day and you could hear them whipping and howling outside the theater. I should have been concerned. I was not because ELF. From the minute it started, I was in love. The super quirky, laugh out loud funny, socially awkwardness was so awesome. Then the message of family and friends and the spirit of Christmas. Gah. LOVE.

As the credits rolled, I turned to Bean and said, "That is going to be a new Christmas Classic". I don't think he knew what that meant, but, it's pretty much true. If you ask 10 people what their favorite Christmas movie is, I'm quite certain you will get more than one "Elf" as a response.

Elf is a movie that we will pop in and play in July. Or May. Or March. Or November. Whatever. We've actually already watched it this month. We will definitely watch it again before Christmas. Bean says that it has the best musical montage in movie history (the part where Buddy first gets to NYC and "Pennies from Heaven" plays. I agree.

When he visits Walter's home for the first time, Buddy asks for syrup to put on his spaghetti. He then recites the Elf food groups:

Candy, Candy Corn, Candy Canes, and Syrup.

Later, when working in the shiny mail room, he sees a guy putting "syrup" in coffee. Buddy proclaims, "Syrup in coffee! Why didn't I think of that?"  He then has a little for himself. This is what led to this recipe.

Syrup in Coffee....Cake!

This simple coffee cake is infused with both coffee and maple syrup. It's then topped with a maple coffee glaze. You can even drizzle a bit more maple syrup on top of that, cause why wouldn't you?

You can also serve it plain, but why? You can also make a plain vanilla glaze as well.

This cake mixes up quick and would be great for Christmas morning.

Buddy would definitely approve.

Tina

P.S. What's your favorite Christmas movie? Tell me in comments! :)

Maple Coffee Crumb Cake

adapted from Bakingdom

For the Cake:

1 1/4 Cup Flour

3/4 Cup Sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, at room temperature

6 Tablespoons butter, softened and cut into 1 Tablespoon pieces

1/4 Cup Maple Syrup

1/4 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup brewed Coffee, cooled

For the Streusel:

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, Packed

1/4 Cup Flour

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

For the Glaze:

1 Cup Powdered Sugar

2 Tablespoons brewed Coffee

1 Tablespoon Heavy Cream

1/2 teaspoon Maple Flavoring

Preheat oven to 350 F

To make the streusel:
Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the butter and 'cut' into the dry ingredients until it is roughly the size of peas. Cover and place into the freezer while you prepare cake.

To make the cake: lightly grease and flour a 9x9 pan. In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Add the butter, a few chunks at a time until well incorporated. Next, add the egg and beat into the mix. Add maple syrup and coffee. Mix well. Add milk. Mix until everything is well distributed.

Pour into prepared pan. Remove struesel from freezer and sprinkle over cake.

Bake for about 40-45 minute until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool about an hour before adding glaze.

 To make glaze: Add powdered sugar to a small mixing bowl. Add in coffee, cream, and maple. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cake (over whole cake or a piece at a time, up to you). Drizzle with a bit of maple syrup if desired.

{Pumpkindoodle Cookies}

My dog is adorable. She really is.

She's also dumb. I'm sorry, you people are getting your feathers all ruffled because I'm saying my pet is dumb. Please believe me when I tell you, SHE IS DUMB.

I love her, but... dumb.

You know that test where you throw the blanket over your dog and the quicker they get out from under it, the smarter they are? She just stands there. Endlessly. Stands. Until we take the blanket off.

She is afraid. Of EVERYTHING. A rustling bag, a piece of paper, leaves falling from the sky. Everything is terrifying. We live in the country and are surrounded by woods. There are very often hunters. Gun fire is THE MOST TERRIFYING thing ever. Well, that and fireworks. She has actual little doggy panic attacks.

Then, there is the screen. If the screen gets pulled and then the sliding door, well, she's gonna run into it. Not once. Not every once in a while. Every. Time.  We try to tell her to wait. She does not listen.

Bam! Luna, full force, into the screen. We try very hard not to pull the screen for this reason, but sometimes.. it happens. Luna face smash follows. Every. Time.

This story is pretty funny, right? Allow me to entertain you with the fact that my 16 year old, highly intelligent Honor Student has done the exact same thing. Open the sliding door, walk straight into the screen. He's done it with a glass door out in public once too.

I'm sorry, but funniest thing ever in ever.

Maybe I'm a bad doggie parent. Maybe I'm a bad parent. Funny.

You know what else is funny? The name of these cookies. You know what's NOT funny? The taste...
Cause yum.

Snickerdoodles are my favorite cookie. I love them so much, that I only make them once or twice a year. The other day I was thinking about how soft and lovely Snickerdoodles were, when I came up with the idea to add pumpkin and fall spices. I wasn't even sure if it would work, but ya know what?

DID. They are pretty perfectly fall too. I love the tiny taste of pumpkin combined with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

Bean loves them. My husband, who doesn't like Snickerdoodles (seriously, he even made up a 'recipe' for his own, which you can see here) OR pumpkin loves them.

One of my youth groupers, (I took cookies to church), even said that this was the perfect companion to a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Really now, who can say no to that??

This recipe, much like my dumb dog, and my... door challenged son, is a keeper.

Tina



Pumpkindoodle Cookies
by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers
yield: 4 dozen 2 1/2" cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening (I prefer Crisco)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup pumpkin 
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Coating:

3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger

Preheat oven to 400 F

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or use an ungreased sheet).

Cream together butter and shortening. Beat in sugars until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin.
Mix in cream of tartar, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Slowly beat in flour.

In a small bowl, stir the 3 tablespoons sugar, teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger together.

Shape dough into 1 tablespoon sized balls, then roll into the coating mix. 

Place on baking sheet, and lightly flatten with the bottom of a cup. (Don't press down too hard, just enough to get the ball shape down a little.)

Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

{Knickerbocker Glory}

I don't know if you know this or not, but yesterday was a very important day.

It was Dudley Dursley's birthday.

Ok, first of all, I can hear the non- Harry Potter fans sighing already. "ANOTHER Harry Potter post?"

I'm sorry, I have a problem.

Then, I can hear the fans sighing, saying, "Tina, really? You are celebrating DUDLEY'S birthday??"

Well, no, not really. See, the second chapter of the Sorcerer's Stone/Philosopher's Stone, the one in which we actually MEET Harry, takes place on Dudley's birthday.

For Dud's birthday, they go to the London Zoo.

"They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first."  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Chapter 2

I'm totally not making this to celebrate mean ole Diddykins. This is all about Harry. :) It is in this chapter that we are introduced to who he is. It is in this chapter that we start to fall for the messy, black haired, bespectacled orphan.

Now, as an American, I had to wonder, what the heck was a knickerbocker glory? I, of course, googled it. I finally decided it was time to make and post on here.

A Knickerbocker Glory is a fruit and ice cream sundae. I did a lot of reading up on the subject.  I know, I know, I have problems (see above).

It seems it originated in the 1930's as a British Seaside treat. It is served in a tall glass to allow for all the layers. There seems to be no actual right or wrong way to make a Knickerbocker Glory, but traditional ingredients are strawberries, grapes, peaches and bananas along with a fruit sauce. Other fruits can be used, as well as a chocolate sauce, but all are less traditional. They are layered in the glass starting with the fruit, then the ice cream, then the sauce. Repeat. A KBG has at least 2 layers of ice cream. It is topped with "squirter cream" as  the British recipes call for. This would be what we American's know as canned whipped cream. It can then be topped with nuts, if desired, and some form of fancy wafer cookie. Unfortunately, I forgot to buy those, so a Vanilla Wafer had to do. According to recipes, you can use fresh or "tinned" (canned) fruit, fruit cocktail, or a mixture of both. I also forgot to put the cherry on top. Oops. What was I thinking?!

Anyway you slice it, you've got a fruit and ice cream sundae and who can say no to that? Well, Dudley, who obviously wanted more ice cream and less fruit. That's ok though, it worked out well for Harry.

For my KBG, I used sliced strawberries and peaches. I also made a simple strawberry sauce by blending up a few strawberries and adding a bit of sugar (just add to taste).

Sadly, it was over 90 degrees outside yesterday, so my layers kind of melted. It's still pretty though, eh?

Tastes good too!

So, here's a fun new treat to make for pudding (British speak for dessert).

Also, if you, like me, ever wondered just exactly what a Knickerbocker Glory is, now you know.

Read even more here.

Tina

Click HERE to see all my Harry Potter posts.

P.S. If you haven’t already,  you can ‘like’ my Facebook page here, and follow me on twitter here, and you can follow me on instagram here.

Linked up at 30 Handmade Days Pity Party 

Knickerbocker Glory

Ice cream
Fresh or canned fruit
Whipped Cream
Nuts (if desired)
Fruit based ice cream sauce
Cherry
Wafer cookie

Layer fruit, ice cream, sauce, fruit, ice cream sauce in a tall glass.

Top with whipped cream, nuts, cherry, and a wafer cookie

{Soft Iced Pineapple Cookies}

I know I've mentioned my BFF Lori on the blog before. She's even behind some of the recipes here, like Strawberry Filled Cupcakes, Holy Moses Dip, and she introed me to the current most popular recipe on my blog, Buckeye Bites.

For a long time, she has told me about her great grandmother's Pineapple Cookies. Sounds good, eh?
These are a definite memory for Lori. She says she cannot remember a time when she went to visit her grandmother that these were not present.

I can see why.

They are soft and lightly citrusy.

When I say soft, I mean, I want to curl up and use one for a pillow. They are tender and delicious.

I made a 1/2 a recipe. I live with picky people, folks. 2 days later and there are 5 cookies left. FIVE. Even a 1/2 of this recipe makes A LOT of cookies (about 3 dozen).

Gone. People. Gone.

So, saying they were a hit, well, now that would be quite the understatement.

I believe these will be a new summer standby cookie. A soft sugar cookie with a pineapple twist? Perfect for summer.

Tres yummy.

Thanks Lori!

I'll be buying stock in pineapple after this!


Tina



Soft Iced Pineapple Cookies
Recipe by Margaret Cameron


 Cookies
1 Cup butter
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Cup crushed pineapple (drained)
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 Cup flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1 Tablespoon pineapple juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup nuts ( optional )

Cream butter and sugar together. Add well beaten eggs. Beat in crushed pineapple and vanilla. Add baking soda which has been dissolved in 1 Tablespoon pineapple juice. Mix together flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Gradually add this to the other ingredients. Mix in nuts, if desired. Beat well. Drop by teaspoon onto greased or parchment lined cookie sheet. bake at 350* for 12 mins.

Icing
1/3 Cup softened butter
1/4 Cup pineapple juice
2 Cup powder sugar

Melt butter, stir in pineapple juice and powdered sugar. Whisk until glossy. Spoon onto cooled cookies or dip tops of cookies into the glaze.

{Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits}

Shrek: For your information, there's a lot more to ogres than people think.
Donkey: Example?
Shrek: Example... uh... ogres are like onions!
Donkey: They stink?
Shrek: Yes... No!
Donkey: Oh, they make you cry?
Shrek: No!
Donkey: Oh, you leave 'em out in the sun, they get all brown, start sproutin' little white hairs...
Shrek: NO! Layers. Onions have layers. Ogres have layers. Onions have layers. You get it? We both have layers.
Donkey: Oh, you both have LAYERS. Oh. You know, not everybody like onions. What about cake? Everybody loves cake!
Shrek: I don't care what everyone else likes! Ogres are not like cakes.
Donkey: You know what ELSE everybody likes? Parfaits! Have you ever met a person, you say, "Let's get some parfait," they say, "Hell no, I don't like no parfait"? Parfaits are delicious!
Shrek: NO! You dense, irritating, miniature beast of burden! Ogres are like onions! End of story! Bye-bye! See ya later.
Donkey: Parfait's gotta be the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet! 

 So, Shrek is one of my very favorite movies on all of planet earth. Also, Shrek 2, which is veerd since most sequels kinda, well, let's not mince words here, suck.

Donkey is one of my all time favorite characters. Eveeer.

copyright Dreamworks

I luff him. I cannot, cannot, cannot make a parfait without thinking of the above conversation. Ever. Ever. Donkey resides in my brain and randomly quotes things, like, "we took a magic potion, and now, we're SEXY!". Yes. Donkey. In my brain. Which can be entertaining, but probably annoying to those closest to me. Quoting Shrek & Harry Potter lines all day long. There's nothing wrong with that, right? I know.

I wanted to make a quick and easy dessert for hubs for Father's Day. Two of his favorite treats are Aunt Rosie's Strawberry Delight and Grammy's Strawberry Pie. So, what I did today was kinda combine the two.

Funny story. The Bean took hubs to the movies today to see Man of Steel for Father's Day. While they were gone, I made this. I was editing the pictures when hubs saw them.

Hubs: WHAT'S THAT?
Me: a dessert
Hubs: Is there more?
Me: I ate it all.
Hubs: Those pictures are at our house!
WHERE IS IT?
Me: It's GONE.
Hubs: runs to fridge and proceeds to gobble it down.

So, I guess it was A-OK, huh?

Hope you've had a wonderful day celebrating all the special men in your life!

Tina



Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait
serves 4 (photo above is a very large serving)

For the graham layer: 
3 full sheets of graham crackers
2 Tablespoons sugar

Add together in food processor and crush until very fine

For the cream cheese layer:
1- 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat for a softer set)
1-2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 cup sugar

Starting with 1 Tablespoon milk, beat together cheese and sugar in mixer until well combined. Should be the consistency of pudding. If too thick, add the other tablespoon of milk.

For the strawberry gel layer:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons corn starch
2 Tablespoons strawberry jello powder (mix)*

*store the rest in a ziploc baggie for making this again! 
 

On the stovetop, add all ingredients into a heavy saucepan. Stir together. Heat over medium heat. 

It will be kind of a milky red. Allow to boil, stirring constantly. As it begins to thicken, it will turn a clear, bright red. When thickened, remove from heat. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before assembling parfaits.

 

For the strawberry layer:

sliced strawberries

Assemble:

Graham cracker layer, cream cheese layer, gel layer, strawberries. Repeat. Top with whipped cream and sprinkles.

{Raspberry Shortbread Crusted Brownies}

Ok, confession time.

My favorite cookies? Plain jane.

Sugar. Butter. Shortbread.

I don't need that extra stuff. Delicious, pure flavors. That's what I like.

Shortbread cookies are probably my favorite. I love the rich, butteriness of them.

I was recently invited to join the Ambassador Program for Walkers Shortbread. The awesome news here is that Walker's was the brand I already buy!

Here's a little info about Walkers:

The brand is imported directly from Scotland. The company was started in 1898 by Joseph Walker. It is still family- owned & ran today. They bake their shortbreads, cakes, traditional cookies, oatcakes, and puddings in the village of Aberlour in the Highlands of Scotland.

Authentic Scottish Shortbread? YOU BETCHA.

What I love most about Walkers' is that their shortbread products are guaranteed to contain no GMOs, preservatives, hydrogenated fats. In addition, no antibiotics or bovine growth hormones are given to their grass fed cows.

The classic shortbread is made of only FOUR ingredients: Flour, Sugar, Butter, and a pinch of Salt.

I love that. Seriously.


Walkers Shortbread products are also 100% vegetarian and certified Kosher OUD.


 My first shipment from Walkers contained Raspberry Thins. I knew right away what I wanted to make.

The raspberry in these cookies (biscuits? I want to feel Scottish, so, I'm going with biscuits!) is intensely real tasting. No 'fake' raspberry taste. They smell amazing.

What pairs perfectly with raspberries? Why, chocolate of course!

I decided to make a Raspberry Crusted Shortbread Brownie.

Super easy to do. Just pulverize your biscuits, add a bit of sugar, flour, and butter to make a crust. Press into an 8x8 pan. Then, whip up this 1 pan brownie from my friend Darla, at Bakingdom. I love her recipe because it has the slightly crisp crust and the deep, fudgey middle. Yum.

After cool, dust with a little powdered sugar & top with fresh whipped cream if you wish! You could also top with fresh raspberries.

Honestly, I intended to put a chocolate glaze on these, it it was NOT needed. They are so good as is!

The biscuit I topped the brownie with is the Vanilla Shortbread, which is not only delicious, but a really lovely looking cookie.

Walker has extended an offer to my readers! You can get 20% off your purchases made at www.walkersus.com when you use my promo code #SBBSPRING until May 24, 2013. This code excludes sale products.

I think you'll love these all natural, delicious biscuits as much as I do!

You know what makes brownies even better?

Shortbread.

You know what makes shortbread crusted brownies even better better?

Raspberries.

Yeah.

Tina

As part of the Walkers Blogger Buzz Ambassador program, I was sent this product to review. However, opinions expressed are my own.

Raspberry Shortbread Crusted Brownies

Preheat oven to 350 F

For the crust:

1 package (4.2 oz) Walkers Raspberry Shortbread Thins
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Pulverize the cookies in a food processor. Stir in the melted butter, flour, and sugar until well mixed. This should be a 'wet sand' texture.

Press into a greased 8x8 glass dish. Set aside.

For the Brownies:
(recipe by Darla of Bakingdom)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup  unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix together the cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter. When butter is melted, remove from heat and mix in sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla. Slowly, whisk the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture.

When well combined, pour batter on top of the shortbread crust.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean with only a few crumbs clinging to it. Allow to cool totally before cutting and serving.

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