Category: Yummy

Lifestyle Recipes Yummy

Easy Cinnamon Apple Crisp

By Kendra

This easy apple crisp or apple crumble recipe (depending on what part of the country you live in) Is perfect for chilly fall mornings! It can be made sweet or tart depending on the type of apples used.

It’s near the end of a long hot summer here in New England, but I am yearning for an early fall. Lately I have been craving one of my favorite fall dishes: Apple Crisp!

I love the beach, but there is nothing like fall in Connecticut! We get the best of both worlds with endless views of beautiful fall foliage along the coastline.

One of my favorite breakfast recipes is apple crisp! The smell of warm apples and cinnamon baking in the morning while I have my morning coffee is heavenly. Fresh sliced apples are topped with a buttery cinnamon oat crumble topping that slightly crisps while baking.

 

***This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, when you make a purchase. Please, see my affiliate disclaimer for more details.***

Easy Cinnamon Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

  • 6 Golden Delicious Apples (peeled and sliced)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour

Topping:

  • 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 stick salted butter cut in small pieces
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup Bisquick or all purpose baking flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

 *Use any apple variety that you like, just remember to adjust the sugar depending on the sweetness or tart of the apples. I like to use Bisquick because it gives the crumbled topping a richer flavor. You can make many variations by adding your favorite berries, raisins, or chopped nuts into the topping.

Directions:

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  • In a large bowl add apples, then pour lemon juice over and mix
  • Add butter, cinnamon, vanilla, sugar, nutmeg and flour, then mix
  • Place sliced apple mixture into a 8×8 inch baking dish and set aside
  • In a smaller bowl add butter, oats, cinnamon, brown sugar, baking soda and Bisquick or flour
  • Mix together with a fork until all ingredients are combined or appears crumbled
  • Spread topping all over apples
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees

 

*This recipe serves 6 people and takes less than 1 hour to prepare. Apple crisp is best served warm and fresh out of the oven. Top with your favorite vanilla ice-cream for a delicious fall dessert.

For another great fall recipe see: Buttery Soft Halloween Sugar Cookies

Posted in: , ,
No comments
Blog Recipes Yummy

Easy July 4th Flag Cake

By Kendra

Make your 4th of July celebration a hit with this easy, beautiful and delicious flag cake! There are 2 different variations, one for strawberry lovers or raspberry lovers. This cakes tastes home made and is best made with fresh ingredients!

What makes this cake easy is that it’s made from a box mix. What makes it taste home made is the altered ingredients. I never use water in any of my box cake recipes because water does not add any flavor. I also like to add butter to the recipe because butter just tastes better.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links; should you choose to make a purchase using said link, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 boxes Pillsbury Moist Yellow cake mix
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 cups of milk
  • 1/2 cup olive oil, canola, or corn oil
  • 2 sticks melted butter
  • 1 pint or 1 cup of fresh blueberries
  • 2 pints or 2 cups of fresh strawberries
  • 2 pints or 2 cups of fresh raspberries
  • 2 packages of cool whip
  • 1 can of whip cream

Directions:

  1. Prepare a large nonstick 13×9 baking dish or sheet pan by lightly coating bottom of pan with butter.
  2. Add  flour to dust the pan then place into the freezer.
  3. In a large bowl add cake mix, eggs, butter, milk, and oil.
  4. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Remove baking dish from freezer, then fill with mix.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 29 to 33 min.
  7. Insert toothpick in the center of the cake to check and see if it comes out clean, your cake is done.
  8. Cool 10-15 minutes before removing cakes from the pan or leave in pan to decorate.
  9. Once cooled, add cool whip topping and decorate with fresh blueberries, strawberries or raspberries in the shape of the American flag.
  10. Pipe cool whip or whip cream in the can on top of blueberries and in between the lines of the strawberries or raspberries.
  11. Keep cake refrigerated until served. Serves 15-20, enjoy!

Invited to a 4th of July barbecue? Bring this delicious home made tasting cake with you! I have been making this cake for years and it’s always a hit! Also see my recipe for Coconut Malibu Rum Cake. Happy Fourth!

 

Posted in: ,
No comments
Blog Recipes Yummy

The Best Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

By Kendra

Classic Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

***This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, when you make a purchase. Please, see my affiliate disclaimer for more details.***

Warning: You won’t be able to stop eating these classic peanut butter cookies. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes! They are easy to make and only take about 10-12 minutes to bake. This recipe yields about 4 dozen and the prep time is only 15 minutes. You will need to chill the dough for about 1 hour. Total prep time is 1 hour and 25 minutes. The cookies will be soft and chewy once cooled but are most delicious when served warm with a glass of milk. Servings: 24

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  • Cream butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar and white sugar together in a bowl, then beat in eggs.
  • In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt then stir into butter mixture.
  • Place dough in refrigerator for 1 hour.
  • Roll dough into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until cookies begin to brown.
  • Serve while still slightly warm, Enjoy!

Love chocolate and peanut butter? Add another level of flavor by dipping half of this cookie in melted chocolate!

I hope you love this recipe, if you are a peanut butter lover like me, see my recipe for Peanut Butter Brownies! Don’t forget to Pin this recipe!

Posted in:
No comments
Blog Recipes Yummy

Hello Bunny Easter Cupcakes

By Kendra

“Hello Bunny” Easter Cupcakes

These delicious homemade vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting are perfect for an Easter celebration. They are best served the same day of baking, but will remain moist for up to 48 hours when covered in a sealed container. This recipe can be made with all-purpose flour instead of cake flour, but the texture will be coarser and cupcakes will be as tender. I highly recommend using cake flour. This recipe yields 15 cupcakes, prep time is 1 hour, and bake time is 18-20 minutes.

This post contains affiliate links, see my full disclosure here.

The bunnies are made of marshmallow fondant, but if you don’t want to make homemade fondant you can cheat by using peeps! (I recommend making the fondant a day ahead.) See this handy YouTube video below I found for the easiest fondant recipe.

You Will Need

The highlighted items are linked, you can click on the links to find the items on Amazon to make Marshmallow Fondant for 15 Bunnies

Easy Marshmallow Fondant

 

Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups cake flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ½ cup milk room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cupcake pan with liners, set aside.
  • In a bowl, sift or whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, add butter and sugar. Beat until creamed and fluffy.
  • Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until incorporated and smooth.
  • Add half of your dry ingredients to butter mixture. Stir until just combined. Add half of milk, again stirring until just combined. Repeat once more, adding remaining dry ingredients, and remaining milk, stirring until just incorporated.
  • Portion batter between 15 cupcake liners, filling about halfway full.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Remove pan from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling

  • Next, prepare the buttercream frosting while cupcakes are cooling.

Easy Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  • In a large bowl, add room temperature butter and beat until creamy, about 1 minute.
  • Add confectioner’s sugar and slowly mix until ingredients are fully combined. Then, whip at high speed for 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
  • Add vanilla extract and heavy cream, then whip until fluffy, another 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Separate frosting into several bowls and add food coloring, then add to piping bags.
  • Pipe buttercream frosting with a onto cupcakes, then pipe a small circle of chocolate frosting in the center.
  • Place 3 small jelly beans into chocolate frosting.

Fondant Bunnies:

  • Roll out chilled fondant and cut shapes using mini cookie cutters.
  • Draw faces on and let dry.
  • Shape bunny hands by adding a tiny bit more fondant.
  • Place jellybean into bunnies hands, then place into the center of the frosting.
  • This will hold the bunny and jellybeans into place.
  • Place cupcakes on you favorite platter and surround with plastic Easter eggs or real decorated Easter eggs.
  • Enjoy!

 

Posted in: , ,
No comments
Blog Lifestyle Recipes Yummy

25 Beachy Sugar Cookie Ideas

By Kendra

Ready for summer and missing the beach? Get inspired with these 25 “beachy” sugar cookie ideas! They are perfect for any nautical themed party, kid’s birthday party, pool party, or beach wedding. Sugar cookies are my favorite! What I love is that they are not only delicious, but they can also be cut & decorated into any shape.

This post contains affiliate links, see my full disclosure here.

The secret is to start with a great recipe. See my blog post Buttery Soft Sugar Cookies with Easy Royal Icing to get started! Not a fan of baking but you still love sugar cookies? You can purchase, find baking inspiration, tutorials, and fun creative ideas from these talented cookie bakers by clicking on the links to their sites below!

25 Beachy Sugar Cookie Ideas

Nautical Celebration

1. My first favorite nautical design is from sugardotcookies.com. You can order these custom made sugar cookies right from their website.

2. Love these beautifully decorated nautical cookies with floral accents from cookieconnection.com.

 

3. I Love the aqua colors in these beautiful seaside custom cookies from lesbiscuitsjosie.com.

 

4. These sugar cookies with lobster & anchor designs from getcreativejuice.com are great for a nautical themed birthday or seafood bake party!

 

5 These nautical anchor sugar cookies from angelicamademe.com are almost to pretty to eat.

 

Summer Beach Party

6. Celebrate Fourth of July with these navy starfish & seashell cookies from sunnydaysweets.com.

 

7. Aqua and purple are a great color combination for these starfish & flip flop beach themed cookies from sunnydaysweets.com

 

8. You can find these cute and cool sunglass cookie cutters on Etsy!

 

9. This baking kit perfect for a Teen’s beach themed birthday party from globalbelly.com.

 

10. Who’s ready for a summer party? These awesome cookies can be found on whoosbakery.com.

 

Summer Pool Party

11. Make a splash at your pool party with these amazing cookies from cookieconnection.juliausher.com

 

12. Love the beach balls and flip flops in this cookie batch from cloughd9cookies.com 

 

13. These cookies  are perfect for a surfer themed pool party from giveacrafteracookie.blogspot.com

 

14. Relax poolside with these hurricane glass & flamingo cookie cutters found on Etsy, perfect for a tropical themed pool party!

15. Have the best pool party with the cutest cookie treats from jennycookies.com.

 

Beach Wedding Ideas

16. Say ” I do” with these pretty sandy starfish and seashells cookies from cookielicious.co.nz are perfect for a beach wedding.

 

17. Say ” I Love You” with heart shaped cookies from ibakeyoubake.com  perfect for a seaside wedding or bridal shower.

 

18. Starfish and lighthouse cookies are perfect for a nautical bridal shower from weddingomania.com

 

19. Love these delicate pastel coastal cookie designs, perfect for a beach wedding from Nancy Heggemeier on Pinterest.

Image credit Nancy Heggemeier

 

20. These gorgeous cookies are perfect for and ocean themed wedding found on thebearfootbaker.com.

Coastal Kids Birthday Party

21. These pretty sea life cookies from theicedsugarcookie.com are perfect for little girls birthday party.

 

22. This Summer Beach Sandcastle Cookie Cutter Set from Etsy is perfect for a kids birthday party at the beach!

 

23. Check out this Under the Sea cookie decorating tutorial from summerssweetshoppe.com perfect for babies 1st birthday party.

 

24. No time to bake? Order these beautiful custom mermaid baby girl 1st birthday cookies from natsweets.com

 

25. I love these cute cookies from lifesabatch.com, they are perfect for baby boy’s beach themed birthday party!

I hope you enjoyed this deliciously creative cookie post! If so don’t forget to save, pin, & subscribe!

 

Posted in: , ,
No comments
Blog Recipes Yummy

Blueberry Buttermilk Scones

By Kendra

Do you love blueberry scones? You don’t need to run to your grocery store or local bakery to enjoy delicious scones fresh from the oven. These light and fluffy blueberry buttermilk scones are simple to make, and the best part is you don’t need to get out of your pajamas to enjoy them. All you need are a few ingredients you likely already have in your pantry, and you can enjoy mouthwatering scones in about 30 minutes.

***This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, when you make a purchase. Please, see my affiliate disclaimer for more details.***

It’s winter here in New England and one of my favorite things to do is bake! I love to wake up first thing in the morning and turn on the oven to warm up the kitchen, especially on those extra chilly mornings. This weekend I decided to try these delicious blueberry scones. Their wonderful smell fills the air as I wait patiently to take take them out of the oven to enjoy with my morning coffee.

Blueberry Buttermilk Scones

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons dry buttermilk powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 2 tablespoons coarse brown sugar

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, dry buttermilk powder, and salt together in a medium bowl, then add the blueberries.
  3. Whisk together the melted butter, vanilla extract, and 1 cup heavy cream in a small bowl.
  4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Turn the dough out on a floured surface and lightly knead until smooth for about 1 minute.
  5. Divide the dough into two balls. Roll out each ball into 1/2- to 3/4-inch-thick disks. Brush the tops of the disks with the remaining 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, then sprinkle with the coarse brown sugar.
  6. Cut each disk into six wedges. Transfer to the lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 12 to 16 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool, Enjoy!

If you like this recipe share it! For more breakfast ideas see my recipe for Easy Breakfast Quiche, & Banana Pancakes with Coconut.

Posted in: ,
No comments
Blog Recipes Yummy

Sweetheart Valentine’s Day Cup Cakes

By Kendra

Attention Chocolate Lovers! Are you looking for Valentine’s Day baking inspiration? Make these easy Sweetheart Valentine’s Day Cup Cakes for your sweetie to show how much you love them! It’s also a fun treat to decorate with the kids. It’s made from a box mix which means you can make so many different variations of this recipe. The frosting is made from and easy two ingredient chocolate ganache recipe.

You can also use any flavored frosting, the cupcakes will still taste decadent and delicious! Also see my latest Valentine’s Day post 10 Delicious Sugar Cookie Decorating Ideas for more inspiration.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links; should you choose to make a purchase using said link, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

I also recommend these handy 12-Pack Freshware Silicone Heart Baking Cups from Amazon for perfect the heart shaped cup cakes. Click the image below to find the item.

 

Freshware Heart Reuseable Silicone Baking Cups 12 Pack

 

Ingredients for Cup Cakes

  • 1 box Pillsbury Moist Chocolate Cake Mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 stick melted butter
  • 1/4 cup oil

Ingredients for Chocolate Ganache

  • 8 oz  (1/2 lb or about 1 1/3 cup of ) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

 

Sweetheart Valentine’s Day Cup Cakes

 

 

Directions:

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Prepare silicone baking cups with light cooking spray.
  • Blend cake mix, eggs, milk, oil and butter in a large bowl.
  • Beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
  • Place baking cups on a cookie sheet and fill.
  • Bake at 350 degrees F for 29 to 33 min.
  • Insert toothpick in the center of one of the cupcakes to check and see if it comes out clean, if so cupcakes are done.
  • Cool 10-15 minutes before removing cup cakes from the silicone baking cups and place on cooling rack.

Prepare Chocolate Ganache:

  • Add chocolate chips to a medium size bowl.
  • Bring heavy cream to a simmer on the stove top, stirring occasionally.
  • As soon it simmers, remove from heat and poor over chocolate chips, swirling the bowl to make sure all chips are covered.
  • Pour over the cooled cupcakes.
  • Decorate top with sprinkles, & Enjoy!

 

I hope you have fun making this recipe! It’s great for anytime you need a quick sweet chocolate treat! Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

 

Posted in:
No comments
Blog Recipes Yummy

10 Delicious Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookie Ideas

By Kendra

Sugar Cookie Lovers, are you looking for Valentine’s Day Cookie decor inspiration? Here are 25 Deliciously decorated sugar cookie ideas to inspire your creativity this Valentine’s Day! If you looking for a great sugar cookie recipe, see my recipe for Buttery Soft Sugar Cookies with Easy Royal Icing!

Here I have gathered a collection of all my favorite V-day cookie designs.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links; should you choose to make a purchase using said link, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

10 Delicious Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookie Ideas

1. These Hearts Smiles Decorated Cookies from CookieBugInfo Shop on Etsy are the cutest cookies ever and in my favorite colors Aqua & Pink! Click on image to order incase you don’t want to bake!

2. These beautifully decorated classic sugar cookies are so pretty decorated in soft pinks, rose and pastels from SugarHero.com.

3. These cut out heart cookies are almost too pretty to eat! Image credit: Pinterest

4. These cookies are absolutely gorgeous from momlovesbaking.com, click image to see full recipe!

5. Just chill with your gnomes this Valentine’s day with the cutest cookies ever from hollybakes.com.

10 Delicious Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookie Ideas

 

6. Not all Valentine’s day sugar cookies have to be hearts with these cute envelope shapes from recipemagik.com.

7. Check out these gorgeous custom cookies from bunnycakes.com

8. Deliver a cute message to your sweetone with these valentine heart envelopes from gardenseedsandhoneybees.com

9. No hearts here but love these valentine cookies from cookieconnection.juliausher.com

10. Last, here is a link from thedecoratedcookie.com of 30 BEST VALENTINE’S DAY DECORATED COOKIES ideas from around the web. Cut-out sugar cookies and royal icing.

I hope you enjoyed this post and these amazing cookie decorating ideas, if you like almond flavored sugar cookies, see my blog post The Best Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies, enjoy!

 

Posted in:
One comment
Blog Recipes Yummy

Banana Pancakes

By Kendra

 

Save PDFPrint

My Favorite Banana Pancakes

 

There is nothing like waking up in the morning to the smell of these homemade Banana Pancakes. The optional shredded coconut added to the batter gives the pancake flavor a tropical twist, but they still taste delicious without it. This recipe serves 4-6.

***This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, when you make a purchase. Please, see my affiliate disclaimer for more details.***

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 cups butter milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 ripe bananas thinly sliced
  • 1/4 shredded coconut (optional)
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans to garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, vanilla extract, egg, butter, and coconut. Then add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients.

Add pancake mixture to lightly buttered skillet or griddle. Top each pancake with 4-5 pieces of banana and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the edges appear dry. Turn with a wide spatula and cook another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Drizzle with maple syrup or honey.

This recipe serves 4-6.

 

Note: You can also add sliced bananas in between layers pancakes once they are cooked if you do not wish to add them while they’re cooking.

You can serve these pancakes immediately or stack on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven at 200 degrees.

If you love this recipe please share it, Enjoy!

 

 

 

No comments
Blog Recipes Yummy

Peanut Butter Brownies

By Kendra

Save PDFPrint

These wonderful homemade Peanut Butter Brownies are a decadent treat for peanut butter lovers! They have creamy peanut butter in the mix and delicious peanut butter chips baked inside. You guys know I love to alter a good box mix recipe, but when comes to brownies nothing beats homemade. This recipe serves 18-24 brownies.

***This may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, when you make a purchase. Please, see my affiliate disclaimer for more details.***

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 1/4 cups creamy natural peanut butter

1/2 cup or 1 stick of salted butter softened

4 eggs lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 cups peanut butter chips

Peanut Butter Brownies

Peanut butter lovers, rejoice!

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Grease 9×13 in baking pan and place into the refrigerator.
  • Mix flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt together.
  • Combine brown butter, sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl and beat until blended.
  • Add eggs and beat until combined.
  • Stir in the flour mixture and peanut butter chips.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes until brownies begin to pull apart from the sides of the pan.
  • Cool in pan or on wire rack before cutting into squares.

 

 

 

Side note:

This peanut butter brownie recipe can be made many different ways by adding chocolate chips, chopped peanuts, Reese’s Pieces or chopped peanut butter cups to the batter. This recipe serves 18-24 brownies.

If you love this recipe please share it! Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Posted in:
No comments
Save PDFPrint