.chocolate wasted cake.

Made this dangerous cake for my hubby's grad party. The inspiration was found on pinterest of course and the original recipe can be found here. I might have totally cheated and used a store bought chocolate cake for the base of it because as I have said before I am not a baker at all! This cake was however super fun to make and perfect for chocolate lovers everywhere. Enjoy!



Ingredients
cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1 cup butter, melted
4 tsp. honey
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/3-1/2 cup whole milk (start out with 1/3 cup of milk and add more milk to your desired consistency)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

liqueur for drizzling on the cake layers (i.e. chocolate, coffee or almond)

melted chocolate for drizzling, :
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips*
2-3 Tbs. heavy cream or vegetable oil
semi-sweet chocolate chips for the sides of the cake

assorted chocolate candies for the top of the cake*(I skipped this)

Preparation
To make the cake:

(Note: Instead of milk, you can replace it with water or cooled brewed coffee. Instead of butter, you can use vegetable oil. Instead of honey, you can use corn syrup or agave nectar. Instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips, you can use Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips. For allergen-free alternatives for the candies, you can try Enjoy Life chocolate chips, bars or cookies)

Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease and dust two 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans with cocoa powder. Set aside.

Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, combine milk, butter, honey and vanilla extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the milk/butter mixture. Mix until combined. Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pour in the batter into prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and wait for about 10 minutes to remove from cake pans and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before decorating.

To make the frosting:

Note: instead of butter, you can use any allowed margarine, Spectrum organic vegetable shortening, or coconut oil. Instead of milk, you can use rice milk or soy milk.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add the butter, milk and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer, slowly mix together at a low speed. Once all the ingredients are combined, increase the speed and beat till fluffy.

To assemble the cake:

Place the first cake layer on a plate or cake circle. Lightly drizzle with liqueur. Spread an even layer of frosting. Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Lightly drizzle with liqueur. Cover the sides and top of the cake with frosting. Cover the sides of the cake with semi-sweet chocolate chips and cover the top with assorted chocolate candies. Drizzle the melted chocolate all over the top of the cake and let it drip down the sides of the cake.

.most AMAZING popcorn.

Ok so no joke I can not stop eating/making this wonderful treat. Not only can it be made in less than 5 minutes but its just so cute as well. Perfect for a party and sure to be a major crowd pleaser. It would also make great little gifts if put in treat bags. This recipe was shown to me by my friend Teresa (thank you!). The original recipe can be found here. Try it out for yourself and your welcome.



Ingredients
1 bag of popcorn (Try to get one with the least amount of butter)
1/2 cup of white chocolate chips
Sprinkles

Preparation
Cook popcorn according to package directions. When done place in a large bowl. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave by cooking for 30 seconds at a time and stirring in between until melted. Pour melted chocolate over popcorn and mix with a spoon. Sprinkle sprinkles on top and let sit until the chocolate hardens. Eat your heart out.

.chocolate pretzel heaven.

This recipe is amazing/delicious/addicting/easy/mouthwatering..I really could go on if needed. I am pretty much obsessed and can not making/eating them. For all those who know me I really do not like sweets or chocolate, but these. omg. writing this post is making me drool. YOU MUST MAKE THESE ASAP!!! And if you don't believe how amazing they are and just want to make a couple check out the microwave friendly version among other adaptations on my friend Alisha's blog CookLoveCraft. There are so many different ways to change this recipe up or use other christmas colored kisses to make it festive. Enjoy!




Ingredients
Pretzel Snaps
Hershey kisses (I used dark chocolate)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 275. Place pretzels on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Unwrap hershey kisses and place on pretzels. Put in oven for 3 minutes. Gently place second pretzel on top of each hershey kiss and press down softy. Place in refrigerator to cool. Enjoy!

.cool whip cookies.

This recipe was taught to by my lovely and fabulous friend Tara. Now since I am not a baker..I might have made a few mistakes. Word to the wise = this dough is very sticky if you cool it in the fridge for a bit it makes life much easier. Maybe if I had known this I wouldn't have had to put the rest of the batter in a bread pan..which in turn did actually make a lovely cookie cake if there is such a thing. Long story short this recipe is beyond yummy and you MUST try it out for yourself. Enjoy!




Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 eggs
1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.
Beat together the whipped topping and eggs together. Add the lemon cake mix and continue to mix. Dough will be thick.
Drop by teaspoonfuls into a bowl of confectioners' sugar and roll to coat. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 8-10 minutes.

.peach sherbet & raspberry dessert.

As I have said before I am not a fan of dessert but this one is just so refreshing especially perfect for this extra warm weather we are having {currently 105 outside..now thats hot!} Also, this dessert takes almost no time to prepare which is even more perfect for the lazy person I am :) This is yet another recipe from my time up north visiting the in-laws. Enjoy!




Ingredients
peach sherbet
raspberries
chocolate syrup

Preparation
Scoop peach sherbet into a cup or bowl. Top with raspberries and chocolate syrup. Repeat and enjoy!

.lemon poppy seed bread.

This recipe is AMAZING and from a favorite website of mine Annie's Eats. The original recipe made muffins..but I am a bit lazy and tossing it all in a loaf pan seemed so much easier and was great to have as a grab and go breakfast. Try it out for yourself! btw..do make it with the glaze because it was so very tasty. Enjoy!



Ingredients
Yield: about 12 muffins
For the muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. poppy seeds
1¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup yogurt (plain or vanilla)

For the glaze (optional):
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1-2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Combine the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Stir briefly to combine. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Mix in the lemon zest and the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in two additions alternating with the yogurt, beating each addition just until incorporated.

Divide the batter between the prepared liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the muffins are still warm, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl to make the glaze. Drizzle a small amount of the glaze over each muffin. Let the glaze set before serving.

.chocolate chip kisses.

The non-baker in me combined with my baking friend Teresa made these amazing delights. So fun and they did not last very long in our house after we made them..note to self, careful when you press the kiss in, they melt quickly and can look like a pile of chocolate instead of a kiss..but I don't think many people will actually complain about a pile of chocolate on there cookie..so make these and enjoy!





Ingredients
1 18oz. package of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (didn't have so I didn't use)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
32 unwrapped milk chocolate kisses ( I used peanut butter cups too..tasted wonderful, but did not look as cute)
powdered sugar

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375. In a large ziplock bag place all ingredients and knead dough until all ingredients are combined. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, place 2 inches apart on a ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Immediately press a kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Sift powdered sugar over cooked cookies. Enjoy!

.raspberry crisp.

I have been told by several people that frequent my blog that I need to add more deserts...however, all that know me personally know that I am not a huge dessert person. Which is actually a understatement because I really do not like dessert at all. (don't hate me!) Anyways...as I was browsing through The Pioneer Woman I came across this recipe, and it looked AMAZING. I made this for dessert for my mom on mother's day and it was a big hit! I plan on making this again with blueberries, because raspberry seeds drive the hubby crazy. Try this simple recipe out for yourself. Enjoy!






Ingredients
2-½ cups Raspberries
1 Tablespoon (Heaping) Corn Starch
⅔ cups Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup All-purpose Flour
¼ cups Sugar
¼ cups Brown Sugar
⅓ cups Oats
¼ cups Pecans, Chopped (i didn't add)
Dash Of Salt
¾ sticks Butter, Cut Into Small Pieces
Whipped Cream Or Vanilla Ice Cream, For Serving

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine (rinsed) raspberries, corn starch, 2/3 cups sugar, and vanilla. Stir and set aside.
In a separate bowl (or food processor) combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar, brown sugar, oats, pecans, dash of salt, and butter pieces. Cut together with a pastry cutter (or pulse in food processor) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add berry mixture to a small baking dish or pie pan. Sprinkle topping mixture all over the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until topping is golden brown.
Allow to sit for ten minutes before serving. Scoop out with a spoon and top with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

.golf birthday cake.

I made this birthday cake for a dear friend of my mom for his 91st birthday! I sure hope if I live that long I will look as great as Al does. He probably has more energy than I do now! I wish I had a better picture of the cake (especially a picture without me in it) but I dont :( Also, some of the ingredients were difficult for me to find so I improvised. Enjoy!



Ingredients
2 (9-inch) round cakes
1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
Green food coloring
Yellow food coloring
1 ½ cups shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup ground vanilla wafers
1 (4-inch) piece of Fruit by the Foot fruit leather (I just used paper)
1 wheat stick (Pringles) or thin pretzel stick (I used a toothpick)
1 large chocolate chip (I used rolos)
3 white gumballs (I used mentos)

Preparation
Bake the cakes according to package directions. Then trim the top off of one cake so it is flat. Stack the two cakes together with a layer of frosting in between.
Frosting the cake:
Tint the vanilla frosting grass green with the green and yellow food coloring. Spread the green frosting on the top and sides of the cake to cover completely.
To complete the decoration:
Place the coconut in a large resealable bag. Add 2 teaspoons warm water and several drops of green and yellow food coloring. Massage the bag until the coconut is tinted bright green. Add more food coloring if desired for a darker color. Sprinkle and press the coconut over the cake as shown in the photo for the fairway. Leave a few areas open for the sand traps and putting green. Pour the ground vanilla wafers onto the open areas for the sand traps. Fold the fruit leather in half over the end of the wheat stick and press together for the flag. Press the wheat stick flag into the putting green area. Press the chocolate chip, pointed end down, in the putting green area for the hole. place a few white gumballs on the cake for the golf balls.

.pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.

This is my favorite fall treat to make because it's not only simple but makes the house smell so delicious! I get the mix from Trader Joe's and stock up because they do not see the mix year round. Follow the directions on the box and add chocolate chips at the end for the extra touch. Enjoy!

.m&m and kit kat cake.

I have lately been intrigued by cake design and how fun it can be. Anyone who knows me is probably laughing at this because I have absolutely NO sweet tooth what so ever! So when a co-worker/forever friend's birthday came I volunteered to bring the cake to work for her. I asked her what her two favorite candies were and she said m&m's and kit kats. I wish that I could take all the credit for this amazing cake, but I literally googled "m&m kit kat cake" and this was the first hit I got. Gosh I love the world wide web.



("embrace the checkbox" is a joke with my friend since she is now entering into the next checkbox when she fills out forms the 25-30 age range)

Ingredients
One box of cake mix or you can make your own, again I dont bake so I used a box :)
One container of frosting or again you can make your own.
1 big bag of M&M's
1 bag of snack size kit kats (put in refrigerator beforehand so they dont melt when you touch them)

Preparation
Bake the cake according to directions on the box or your own. The cakes need to be placed in 2 round cake pans. When they are done and cooled use a knife to cut them level. (Make sure they are shorter then the height of the kit kat bars) Place a layer of frosting in the center of the cakes to attach them. Frost the entire cake and place kit kat bars in groups of 2 around the cake. Then place m&m's on top and around the plate for decoration. Wrap a ribbon of your choice around the entire cake and enjoy!

.blueberry banana bread.

I usually get so mad when the hubby does not finish all the bananas that I buy him for his smoothies..however this time I decided to get creative. This bread was SO delicious! It tasted great fresh out of the oven with a little bit of butter right on top. I will never get mad at him again for not finishing bananas! (side note: unfortunately this bread was so good, when we left the house bella decided to open the tupperware container that it was in and eat its contents, she is very skilled..and we are very very sad)


Ingredients
3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons water
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preparation
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the eggs, bananas, oil and water. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries and walnuts. Pour into greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack.

.berry parfaits.

This recipe is from my 5 ingredients or less cookbook. I am not a huge dessert person...I have almost no sweet tooth, its so sad I know! However, I actually like this one because it includes yummy fruit and really can be made with any fruit depending on the season and perfect for those hot hot summer days!


Ingredients
2 cups of blueberries
2 cups of raspberries
Vanilla ice cream
whipped topping

Preparation
Spoon half of the raspberries into parfait glasses. Top with half of the ice cream and half of the blueberries. Repeat layers. Top with whipped topping.