Sweet Potato Cake with Vanilla Maple Glaze

I've made this for Thanksgiving 2 years in a row and I love it more each time!

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt


1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon maple extract
1 teaspoon butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add mashed sweet potatoes and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time. Add flour mixture to potato mixture. Beat on low until combined.
3. Pour batter into 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool cake for 20 minutes in the pan, then invert onto serving plate.
4. To make the glaze, melt the butter and add to rest of ingredients. Mix until creamy. Pour over COOLED cake.

Nutella Wontons with Raspberry Sauce

Okay, let me just start off by saying this... I LOVE Nutella. I am addicted to this chocolate-hazelnut spread. Lol! My friend, Val, has the same addiction. About five years ago, we were at her house and craving something with Nutella in it, so we made these deep fried goodies. I also whipped up a quick raspberry sauce to dip them in. They aren't too difficult to make and they are to die for! Enjoy. =)

Nutella Wontons
Ingredients
16 wonton wrappers (you can find these in the produce section)
1 egg, beaten
1 cup Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread)
Vegetable Oil, for frying
Powdered Sugar, for dusting

Directions
1. Line a baking sheet with foil. Take 1 wonton wrapper and brush the edges lightly with the beaten egg.
2. Spoon 1 tablespoon of Nutella into the center of the wonton wrapper. Fold the wrapper diagonally in half over the filling and press the edges of the wrapper to seal.
3. Place the wonton on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers, egg and Nutella.
4. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Add enough oil to a heavy, large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches, heat the oil over medium heat. If you have a deep fryer, heat it to 350 degrees.
5.Working in batches, carefully add the wontons to the hot oil and cook until they are golden brown, about 45 seconds per side.
6. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the wontons to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Then, transfer the wontons to the lined baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while frying the remaining wontons.
7. Once all of the wontons are fried, dust them with powdered sugar and serve with raspberry sauce (recipe to follow)
These wontons can be made a day ahead. Cool them completely, cover and refrigerate. Before serving, place them on a baking sheet and re-warm in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 7 minutes.


Raspberry Sauce
Ingredients
1 half-pint package fresh raspberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup (12 ounces) seedless raspberry jam

Directions
Place the package of raspberries, granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries and jam into a food processor, fitted with the steal blade and process until smooth. Chill.

Pecan Bars

I made these for game day and I have to say...I don't think my family will ever be able to cope with a pecan pie ever again. Even my husband who NEVER eats dessert (marital point of contention) ate a bar and later told his mom how delicious they were. Whoa. Now you KNOW you'll have to try them. These are from the Our Best Bites Official Cookbook from the blog. I highly HIGHLY recommend you spring for the book. I didn't think I needed it because, ya know, all the recipes are on the internet! Not so, friends. This little gem isn't on the blog and I'm here to tell ya, I'm the favorite kid right now because of this recipe. So go get the book at Costco, or Deseret Book, or if you do nothing else, follow their blog...then make these bars.

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp. Butter
6 Tbsp. Shortening
3/4 Cup Powdered sugar
1 1/2 Cups plus 2 Tbsp flour divided
2 eggs
1 Cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 Cup chopped pecans

Glaze:
1 1/2 Cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. Orange juice
1 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Cream butter, shortening and sugar.
Add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix until combined
Press evenly in bottom of 9x13" pan. Bake crust 13-14.
Mix remaining flour and rest of ingredients and spread over hot crust. Bake another 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread with glaze while warm. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Slow Cooker Pudding Cake

I had a busy day on Saturday. I'm talking, leave the house at 8:30 and don't get home until late at night busy. One of my engagements was a BBQ at a friend's house where I volunteered to bring dessert. On Saturday morning it hit me that I wasn't going to be home to make anything....that's where my trusty slow cooker came in! This recipe is out of my Official Crock Pot Cookbook. The only reason I chose it was because I happened to have all the ingredients. It was HUGE hit at the BBQ. People I didn't know where asking me for the recipe. And what could be easier than cake in a crock pot?!

Slow Cooker Pudding Cake
Ingredients:
6 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 Cup Flour
1/8 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 1/3 Cup sugar
1 Cup (2 sticks) melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 Cup whipping cream
Vanilla ice cream for serving

Directions:
Coat your slow cooker with cooking spray and preheat to LOW.
Blend cocoa, flour, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Beat eggs with an electric mixer on medium-high until thickened. Graudually add sugar, beat 5 minutes until mixture becomes very thick and pale yellow.
Mix in butter and vanilla. Once incorporated, add the cocoa mixture and blend well. Add cream. and mix until blended.
Pour in crock pot and cover opening with a paper towel to catch the condensation (unless you like soggy cake). Put lid on and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours. Serve warm with ice cream.

Chex Lemon Buddies

I made these for a craft class I went to on Saturday and everyone demanded the recipe. They were a huge hit and a nice, refreshing summer departure from Muddy Buddies I usually make. The best part? They are really easy and QUICK. Make them for a get together and you will be the most popular one there!

Ingredients:

9 cups rice Chex cereal

1 1/4 cups vanilla (white chocolate) chips

1/4 cup butter
4 tsp. lemon zest

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Measure cereal into a large bowl and set aside.

Combine the white chocolate chips, butter, lemon zest and juice into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minutes. Stir and repeat in 30 second intervals until it can be stirred smooth. Pour over cereal and stir to combine. Place cereal in a gallon size Ziploc bag, pour in powdered sugar and shake to coat.

Oatmeal Scotchies

I'm going to say it. These cookies are my favorite cookie and I'm a cookie monster. Sometimes I get the biggest craving for them and have to make a batch. I've seen other recipes similar to this that float around but they never turn out as well as my mom's recipe. Be aware though, these guys are finicky with baking times. 7 to 8 minutes leaves them chewy, 9-10 makes them crispy...11 burns them. So make sure you pull them out quickly!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 (11 oz.) package of butterscotch chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Combine flour baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, both sugars, eggs, and vanilla in large mixing bowl until creamed together. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stire in oats and butterscotch chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 7-10 minutes. Cool on sheets for 2 minutes before removing to baking racks to cool completely.

Yields about 4 dozen.

No Bake Cookies

Hello all Taste Bud readers! My name is Trevor, my friends call me Trevor Chan. I am the newest contributor to this fabulous blog, and am so excited to share some amazing recipes with you!

The title of this post is true! There is no baking involved in this recipe! There is a tidge of cooking, but nothing I'm sure you can't handle! Enjoy these easy and delicious cookies!

Ingredients

2 Cups Sugar

1/2 Cup Margarine or Butter

1/3 Cup Cocoa

1/2 Cup Milk

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter

3 Cups quick Oatmeal

1 tsp. Vanilla

Directions

1. Bring Sugar, Margarine or Butter, Cocoa and Milk to a boil.

2. Boil for 1 minute. Do not over boil.

3. Add Peanut Butter and stir until dissolved.

4. Add Oatmeal and Vanilla.

5. Drop desired size amounts on to waxed paper.

6. Let set about 1 hour.

Note: To help the cooling process along, toss em' in the fridge! They're delicious served cold!

Brownie Cookies with Chocolate Mousse Frosting

I just made this recipe up because I needed some cookies in a hurry. Yes. Made it up. Just now.

I confess, I am a little proud of myself and will lightly toot my own horn now: toot, toot! These are super fast to make and taste, well, pretty awesome if I do say so myself. And the frosting is really fluffy and delicious!

Okay, without further ado, the moment you've been waiting for! I give you: the recipe. Enjoy them (I certainly did)!

Ingredients

Brownie Cookies

1 pkg Devils Food Cake Mix (preferably with pudding in the mix)

2 eggs

1/4 cup veggie or canola oil

Chocolate Mousse Frosting

1 small package of instant chocolate pudding

1 cup milk (I used skim, but you could use 1% or 2%, I'm sure)

 1 container of Cool-Whip (approx. 1.5 - 2 cups)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix cake mix, eggs and oil together until it has moistened and formed a thick dough.
3. Using a scoop, measure out cookies.
4. Put cookies in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Don't let them over-bake! I pulled them out at 10 minutes.
5. While cookies bake, make frosting.
6. Empty pudding mix into a bowl and add milk. Beat together for 2 minutes until thickened.
7. Gently fold Cool Whip into pudding mixture. Frosting will be light and fluffy.
8. If cookies are rounded when they come out of the oven, use the bottom of a glass to lightly flatten them while they are still warm. Don't use too much pressure or they will harden as they cool.
9. After cookies are baked and cooled, frost each with a dollop of chocolate mousse frosting. Yum!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay, I know everyone has a recipe for chocolate chip cookies and I know a lot of people can make them by scratch but this recipe is REALLY good. Don't believe me? Every single time I make these cookies at least one person asks me for the recipe. Seriously! People say, "I've never had such a good chocolate chip cookie!" I got this out of ward cookbook. Beware, it makes a TON! I usually do make the whole recipe and freeze half the dough. Half this recipe yields about 2 dozen cookies, a full recipe 4-5 dozen depending on how big your cookies are.

Ingredients:

1 lb. butter (no substitutes!!!)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups brown sugar

4 tbsp. vanilla

3 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp baking soda

6 cups flour

4 c. chocolate chips

Cream the butter and sugars, add vanilla, eggs and soda. Gradually add flour in and blend well. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes.

Cinnamon Chip Cream Cheese Bars

I think it takes longer to say the name of this delectable treat than it does to actually make it. This was one of my favorite desserts as a child, and still is. I used to make them with my step-dad and it didn't take long for my family to devour them. =)

The cinnamon chips in these bars are sooooo yummy; however they can be difficult to find. You can find these gems online at King Arthur Flour and Prepared Pantry. If you can't find them in a regular grocery store, try a specialty food store, or one of these sites. These bars are also great with chocolate chips, or Hershey's premier white chips.

Ingredients:
   Cinnamon Chip Cookie Dough (You could use any chocolate chip cookie dough recipe you like, and replace the chocolate chips with cinnamon chips. This is just the one I like to use.)
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature (NOT melted)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 bag cinnamon chips

Directions:
  Cinnamon Chip Cookie Dough
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar.
3. Add vanilla and eggs
4. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking soda
5. While stirring/mixing sugar mixture, slowly add flour mixture until completely incorporated
6. Add cinnamon chips and stir well

Ingredients:
   Cream Cheese Filling
1 block cream cheese, softened (not light or imitation, the REAL thing)
1 egg
2/3 cup sugar

Directions:
  Cream Cheese Filling
1. Mix cream cheese, egg, and sugar until smooth

Now, to put it all together...

1. Press half of the cookie dough into a 9x9 pan.
2. Spread cream cheese filling over the dough.
3. Crumble remaining cookie dough over the top of the cream cheese filling. This gives it a pretty, marbled look.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean, and enjoy!

Candy Bar Fudge

Before you say it, yes, I have noticed a trend in my posts up 'til now: lots of desserts. I promise I will post some more substantial, and healthy, recipes later (I swear we don't just eat candy at our house), but I just had to share this super easy and YUMMY gem. I found the original recipe on a can of Pillsbury frosting, tweaked it a bit, and discovered that making fudge can be really easy... and very delicious!

Ingredients:

1 (12oz) package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (16 oz) can of milk chocolate frosting (NOT the whipped variety)

approx. 4 roughly chopped Snickers bars (or a "bunch" of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, again roughly chopped)

Directions:

1. Line an 8x8 pan with foil, extending the foil over the sides of the pan.

2. Spray foil very lightly with no-stick cooking spray.

3. In a medium sauce pan, melt the chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly. Resist the urge turn the heat up; scorched chocolate doesn't suit this recipe well...

4. When chocolate chips are melted, remove from heat and immediately stir in frosting and chopped candy (if you want, reserve a couple of tablespoons of the candy bits to sprinkle on top of the fudge).

5. Working quickly, spread mixture into the foil-lined pa, spreading it evenly.

6. If you reserved some of the candy pieces, sprinkle those on top of the fudge.

7. Allow fudge to set for at least an hour before using the foil to remove it from the pan.

8. Slice fudge into squares and enjoy!

Cookie Dough Stuffed Cupcakes

I found a recipe for these on allrecipes.com, but that recipe used genuine cookie dough for the stuffing of the cupcakes. Since the dough is supposed to remain, well, dough in a cookie dough stuffed cupcake, I decided to make a variation using the Eggless Cookie Dough recipe I posted earlier this week.

These are pretty easy to make, but you have to follow a couple of "rules." First, you need to make little (approx. 1/2") dough balls, using a small scoop or your hands. These MUST be frozen! If they are not frozen when you put them in the cupcake batter, they will bake and come out dry and y.u.c.k.y.!

Secondly, don't over bake these. Don't use a toothpick to test "doneness" of these bitty cakes, since the inside of the cupcake is cookie dough and should remain doughy. Instead, look at the edge of the cupcake to see if it's set. I would recommend baking for 16-18 minutes. If you over bake these, you will get the aforementioned dry, "y.u.c.k.y." center.

Ingredients:
-1 cake mix ( I used chocolate, but I think yellow would also be delicious - I'm sure you could make cake batter from scratch, I was just feeling lazy ^_^)
-Ingredients needed for cake mix prep (usually water, oil, and eggs, in some combination)

-Frozen dough balls from Eggless Cookie Dough recipe (I've found using mini chocolate chips in the dough works best for this recipe), one for each cupcake
-Frosting

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Prepare cake mix per box instructions.
3. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
4. Scoop/pour about 1 tablespoon batter into each cupcake liner.
5. Place one frozen cookie dough ball into each cupcake liner, on top of the cake batter.
6. Cover each cookie dough ball with approximately one more tablespoon of batter. You may need to use a spoon to make sure cookie dough balls are covered.
7. Bake cupcakes for 16-18 minutes. Remember, don't over bake!
8. Let cupcakes cool. Frost and enjoy!

Sunnys Perfect Pie Crust

Let me just begin by saying that I love to bake pies! I have been perfecting the art of pie making over the last year or so, and I have got it down. The key to any great pie is a flaky, delicious pie crust. I have tried several variations of pie crusts and many, many techniques. This one is by far my favorite one to make. It is almost like a cookie when you bite into it and so yummy!

I know so many people that will just by pre-made pie shells because pie crusts are really tricky to make. One wrong step, and the whole pie can be ruined. I found this great article that has pretty much every technique that I use to get my crust just right. The most important tips being; make sure all of your ingredients are ice cold (yes, even the flour you use), cut the fat in with your hands, not a mixer, and handle the dough as little as possible, or your dough will be too tough to work with. Here is the article http://whatscookingamerica.net/piecrsthint.htm Happy pie baking!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup shortening
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/4 teaspoons white vinegar
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup ice cold water

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. With your hands, cut in shortening and butter until mixture is crumbly. You want the crumbles to be the size of a large pea.
3. Combine vinegar, egg, and ice cold water. Sprinkle over flour mixture gradually (not all at once), while stirring, until the dough forms a ball. If needed, add 1 or 2 tablespoons more water.
4. Cut dough in half (if making a double pie crust, otherwise you can use the other half for another pie, or freeze it for later use) and form each half into a ball. Between two pieces of floured wax paper, roll one half into a 12" circle and line 9" deep glass pie plate with it. (If dough tears or a hole forms, pinch dough together to repair) Trim overhanging edge 1/2" from rim of pie plate
5. Arrange your filling in crust, pressing down gently to eliminate any spaces.
6. Roll second half of the dough into 12" circle. Fold into quarters. Place over filling and unfold. Trim overhanging edge 1" from rim of pie plate. Tuck top edge under bottom crust edge. Flute edges by pinching dough together every 1/2" along edge.
7. Brush top crust with egg wash (1 tablespoon milk and one large egg, beaten) and sprinkle with sugar. If your filling is a fruit filling, cut several slits in top crust to vent. Cover the edge of the pie crust with aluminum foil, or a pie shield to prevent excessive browning. Remove foil or pie shield during last 15 minutes of baking.
8. Bake for however long the pie recipe your using tells you to.

It's a lot of work, I won't lie, but so rewarding! Enjoy! =)

Scotcheroos

Okay. I have made it no secret: I love desserts. I have a chronic sweet tooth... and even a pound of these babies would leave me wanting more!

This recipe is one I remember my mom* making for church activities, family gatherings, and if we were lucky, just as a special treat. The combination of creamy chocolate, smooth butterscotch, and crispy rice cereal treats with a hint of peanut butter is, to understate it, heaven! This recipe serves about 24 people... if you are feeling generous!

So, get out the fat pants... it's time for scotcheroos!




Ingredients:

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup corn syrup (I use Karo brand corn syrup)
1 cup sugar
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 oz butterscotch chips

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring sugar and corn syrup to a slow boil.
2. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, stirring until well combined.
3. Stir Rice Krispies into sugar mixture until well coated.
4. Lightly grease a 9"x11" baking dish with cooking spray.
5. Press cereal mixture into baking dish. Let cereal mixture cool.
6. In a large glass bowl, microwave chocolate and butterscotch chips, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted.
7. Pour chocolate mixture over cooled rice cereal treats.
8. When chocolate is cooled, cut into bars and serve.

*Thanks mom! This will always be one of my favorites!

Homemade Oreos

Our family situation is... unusual. I come from a rather large family of 6 kids. My husband has 10 brothers and sisters, most of whom are married and/or have kids. We both have divorced parents who are remarried bringing the total number of parents to 8. Not to mention our two little darlings and all our sweet nieces and nephews.

Add them all up and you have quite a large family. Don't get me wrong. I love having a large family, but it does make family gatherings a little tricky. I mean, finding room for that many people, let alone feeding and entertaining them, can be a daunting task!

So is it any wonder that when I was asked to make a dessert for Ben's family Christmas party last year, I was a little intimidated? Thank goodness for homemade Oreos! This recipe made more than enough for everyone. Plus, I tinted the frosting red and green with food coloring, making them extra festive!

I highly recommend using a small scoop for measuring out most cookies, but with these ones especially, it is incredibly helpful. If you use a scoop, all of your cookies will end up the same size, making them much easier to match and frost. Plus, it makes them look nice, too!



Cookies:

2 devil's food cake mixes
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil

Frosting:

1 (8 oz.) pkg cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 Tbsp butter, softened to room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 cups powdered sugar (to desired consistency)


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Mix together cake mixes, eggs, and oil.
3. Scoop dough onto cookie sheet. If not using a scoop, roll dough into 1" balls.
4. Bake for 6 to 9 minutes.
5. While cookies are baking, prepare frosting. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with electric beaters until combined and slightly fluffy.
6. Add sugar, a small amount at a time, mixing constantly until desired consistency is reached.
7. Cool cookies completely before frosting. Spread a small dollop frosting on the underside of one cooled cookie and top with another cookie (be sure not to use too much frosting or cookies will slide off of each other). A little goes a LONG way!