Category: Baked Goods

Lime Cheesecake Pie – Mix, Pour and Freeze!

Published on by Rebekah3 Comments

A pie doesn’t have to be complicated. With only six ingredients, this Lime Cheesecake Pie takes literally minutes to assemble and the freezer does the rest! Cold, refreshing, creamy and tart, this is the best and easiest pie you’ll ever make. It’s fantastic in the spring and summer when the temperatures outside are really hot. You can make it as light as you like too, by purchasing lower fat ingredients.  Start by juicing some fresh limes. You’ll need 1/3 of a cup. I have a juicer, but no fancy equipment is needed. Just roll your lime under the palm of your hand a few times while pressing gently or pop the lime in the microwave for about 15 seconds to get those juices flowing. The lime flavor is what makes this pie AWESOME.

Beat softened cream cheese until smooth, then add in one can of sweetened condensed milk, fresh lime juice and vanilla extract.

Pour the mixture into a 9-inch graham cracker crust. Mine is store-bought, but you can always make your own (it’s just graham cracker crumbs and melted butter). Spread the mixture evenly into the pie crust…

Then put the pie in the freezer for 2 hours. How easy is that?

When the pie has set, the mixture will be firm.

 Top with whipped topping. Use the entire 8 ounce container.

Spread the whipped topping over the pie filling evenly. Then place it in the freezer for one hour.

Garnish with lime wedges and mint! That’s my favorite part, getting to decorate it. 😉 Amazing how that little touch of green contrasts so well against the white whipped topping.

Here’s the recipe, courtesy of The Taste of Home Cookbook:

1 pkg 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 graham cracker crust (9 inches)
1 carton 8 oz frozen whipped cream topping, thawed
Lime slices, fresh mint for garnish

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add milk, lime juice and vanilla; beat until smooth. Pour into the crust. Refrigerate 2 hours. Spread with whipped topping. Refrigerate 1 hour. Garnish with mint and lime.

This dessert pairs well with seafood. Let me know what you think!

Brownie Mallow Bars That Make You Go MMMM

Published on by Rebekah1 Comment

I was searching for a good brownie recipe when I came across this delightful one in my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. I knew I’d found a winner when the recipe called for peanut butter. The combination of creamy peanut butter, chocolate, rice crispy cereal and marshmallows atop cake-like brownies is out-of-control.

Start by combining a 12 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 cup of creamy peanut butter.

Meanwhile, bake a batch of brownies using a brownie mix and follow package directions. Easy, right?

Top the brownies with a bag of miniature marshmallows and pop in the oven for a few minutes just to get them gooey.

By this time, the chocolate will be nice and melted. Stir it up good. Then…

Add in rice crispy cereal. The cereal provides some nice texture and gives the brownies that little something special that makes you go, mmmm.

Once the marshmallows finish baking, they’ll resemble a white cloud, a soft pillow. Don’t be scared of it. Just pour the chocolate/peanut butter/rice crispy mixture right down over the top of it and spread evenly. It will be messy, but just show it who’s boss.

Once you’ve spread the chocolate mixture over the marshmallows, your work is done! Put that puppy in the refrigerator and let it set for at least two hours.

Check out those pretty layers!! Decadent and divine. Enjoy!

The Iconic Chocolate Chip Cookie

Published on by Rebekah2 Comments

Sometimes, it’s not the fancy recipes that make your heart go pitter-patter. Chocolate chip cookies are iconic. Just consider it. What birthday party, family gathering, holiday, school function, church get together or kids lunchbox ever got away without them?

As I baked these on a Tuesday night this week, I thought about the many memories I associate with the classic recipe. My favorite one would have to be baking with my big brother. When we were little, I would get so excited when Joey would head for the hand mixer after dinner. I knew just what he was up to. I tell you, we could have just eaten the dough and been happy. I use to guard the cookie dough bowl to keep Joey and his big fingers out it. LOL. 🙂

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Do you have a favorite chocolate chip cookie memory? Please share!

A Frilly & Feminine Valentine’s Dessert Worth Every Calorie

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What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with a classy little delicacy like Red Velvet Cupcakes with Red Velvet Frosting?  I have always loved cupcakes and over the years, my reasons for loving them have changed. My favorite reason to love them today? They are perfectly portion controlled and simply satisfying. Continue reading “A Frilly & Feminine Valentine’s Dessert Worth Every Calorie” →

Black Bananas Get A Second Chance

Published on by Rebekah3 Comments

Ugly, black bananas transformed into beautiful, creamy banana cake. That is all.

I never purchase bananas at the grocery store with the intention of letting them rot on the counter top, but life happens. Good thing really ripe bananas are still usable.

It’s what’s on the inside that counts, right? After peeling the ugly, outer exterior off of these bananas, I tossed them in my Sunbeam mixer with sugar–and magic happened.

This is a cool trick, thanks Barefoot Contessa. Often, recipes call for room temperature eggs, but if you’re like me and forget to take your eggs out the night before, just place them in warm water for 5 minutes while your other ingredients come together.

Chopped walnuts and bananas were meant to be together.

I never understood this step. Why not just measure the ingredients and toss them in the mixer? Because something about sifting the dry ingredients gives you a nice, light and airy batter. It doesn’t take long, just do it.

Add sifted ingredients to the banana and sugar mixture…look how beautiful that is!! GOOD GOD A’MIGHTY!! It tastes amazing. Check out that swirl action.

Gently stir in walnuts.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan. I cannot emphasize preparing your pan enough. There is no worse feeling than pulling a warm, delicious looking and smelling cake out of the oven only to have it stick to the pan and come apart when transferring it to a wire rack to cool. Butter and flour that thing real good!!

Perfection.

Not quite finished. Next step: Make frosting. This frosting is to die for. I mean it. Room temperature butter and cream cheese meet pure vanilla extract and confectioner’s sugar and a creamy, thick, bright white frosting is born. To bring butter and cream cheese to room temperature, leave them on the counter over night or just sit them on the stove top while the oven gets warm.

 Pile it high on top of the completely cooled cake. I love the contrasting colors here.

Decorate with whole walnuts. Simplicity at its finest.

And to think I almost threw those bananas away.

The entire recipe for Old Fashioned Banana Cake can be found in Ina Garten’s cookbook, Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? 

Some Kinda Beautiful Special Occasion Chocolate Cake

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I made this labor intensive Special-Occasion Chocolate Cake for several of my co-workers who celebrated birthdays one fall. It’s three layers of the most moist, delicious combination of toasted almonds, fudgy buttercream frosting and chocolate ganache you’ll ever taste. This recipe, courtesy of Taste of Home, is the epitome of Some Kinda Good.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get many pictures but as soon as I began cutting into the cake and describing it, the next thing I knew, my co-workers were video taping. HA! I was being silly, but they were successful in capturing my passion for all things chocolate and heavenly. They also got a great shot of the decadent layers. Thanks Mark and Ryan!

I started baking the cake at 7 p.m. and didn’t finish until after 10 p.m., but every second was worth it. By the way, the recipe is named Special Occasion for a reason…be sure to save it for an indulgent celebration.

Pear Crisp Brings Memories of Grandma and Grandpa

Published on by Rebekah2 Comments

Baking a pear crisp was a fantastic way to use up the Harry and David’s Royal Riviera Pears I received as a Christmas gift. Pears aren’t a fruit I work with or have on-hand often, but they are delicious and a nice change from the every day apple. Flavorful and comforting, this recipe for Pear Crisp was taken from Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible.

Check out the pictures below to see how I completed the recipe.

After the pears are peeled, cored and sliced, toss them with sugar and cinnamon.

Spread the filling in your casserole dish.

Combine your dry ingredients, then cut in cold butter. It’s important that your butter is cold so the mixture becomes nice and crumbly.

You can use a fork or a pastry cutter, but I find that using my hands works just as well. As Ina Garten says, clean hands are a cook’s best tools. Just work quickly, because you don’t want the heat from your hands to melt that butter.

Stir in your almonds, then crumble your topping over the filling.

The filling bubbles over and the topping gets crispy and golden brown. I like to serve it warm with vanilla ice cream, but it also tastes great at room temperature. Enjoy!


Blackberry Cobbler

Published on by Rebekah1 Comment

 

Blackberry Cobbler is a Southern staple.

“Blackberries cook up to such a beautiful and dramatic deep black-purple, you could serve this at a fancy dinner party or enjoy it on a picnic blanket.” -Paula Deen, Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible  Continue reading “Blackberry Cobbler” →

Peanut Butter Blossoms – How Bad Can That Be?

Published on by Rebekah3 Comments
Right after you pull them out of the oven, the chocolate kisses are inserted in the center.

You can have all the best cookbooks in the world, but sometimes, the best recipes are found simply on the back of packages. Earlier this week I bought some candy for my office and there on the back of the Hershey’s Kisses Package was my all time favorite recipe for Peanut Butter Blossoms. It all starts with shortening and peanut butter, and in the words of Ina Garten, “How bad can that be?” You just can’t go wrong with the classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate rolled in sugar. Not to mention how cute they look. As soon as they come out of the oven, you put the chocolate kisses in the center. The heat from the cookie slightly melts the chocolate and when you bite into it, its pure bliss. As I baked these, I listened to my Miranda Lambert Pandora Radio station and all was well.

Pour yourself a cold glass of milk and enjoy these next to the Christmas tree. Happy Baking to all!

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Saturday Makes for a Special Breakfast

Published on by Rebekah3 Comments
Add crispy bacon and a little Country Crock light butter spread and breakfast is served.

Saturday mornings are my favorite time of the week. I love getting up whenever I wake up and not being forced out of bed by an alarm clock. I usually make something special for breakfast on Saturdays because I actually have time, unlike during the work week, when I grab a quick breakfast bar and maybe a piece of fruit and head out the door. This morning I made fresh blueberry muffins with a streusel topping and fried up some bacon to boot. I brewed some coffee and stirred in my pumpkin spice creamer and enjoyed drinking it from a real coffee mug and not my travel mug. Hey, it’s the little things. The best part is knowing tomorrow morning, there’ll be leftovers. 🙂