Raspberry Cream Pie

This was SoOOOOO DELICIOUS! A sit down with the whole pan recipe!!! Definantly a must try. I found it on the blog LifeShould Be Delicious.
Raspberry Layer:

2 packages (10 oz each) frozen raspberries, thawed
2 Tbls. sugar
2 Tbls. cornstarch

Drain raspberries reserving juice in a 1 cup measuring cup (sometimes I really have to smash the berries in a mesh strainer to get liquid out of them). Add enough water to measure 1 cup. Set raspberries aside. In a small saucepan combine cornstarch, sugar and raspberry juice mixture until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, cool for 10 minutes and gently stir in raspberries. *Can be frozen and used later*

Cream Layer:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 C. cold water
1 package of instant vanilla pudding (big or small)
1 8 oz. tub of cool whip

Whisk together sweetened condensed milk and cold water until mixed, then whisk pudding for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft set, fold in cool whip.

Using your favorite pie crust recipe bake crust then let cool (or you can cheat like I did and buy a Pillsbury ready to bake pie crust. It was by the biscuits in the refrigerated section). Fill with half of raspberry mixture then add half the cream mixture on top of it. Let sit in the fridge for 2-3 hours or overnight to let set. Before serving top with fresh whip cream or more cool whip (I prefer fresh whip cream).

This is enough for 2 pies.


** If the raspberry layer seems like too much work you can just smash some of the thawed raspberries, add some sugar to sweeten them and put in crust. It just won't have the pie filling/jelly like consistency. It would be more of a fresh fruit consistency, but still yummy!


This is what I did:

• Instead of a reagular pie crust I used a graham cracker one. Definantly a must do!! It made it perfect!
• When getting the raspberry juice out, I only got a 1/4 cup of it and it was still great.
• I didn't put the whipped cream on top. I can stand on its own!
• I would definantly go through the work of doing the raspberry layer the way the recipe says.
• The raspberry layer will be fairly thin in the bottom, but don't worry....it's just the right amount.
• If you think you won't want two pies you are wrong!

Raspberry Truffle Brownies

These brownies were SOOOO rich! REALLY good, but not something you sit down with the pan! I found the recipe on The Girl Who Ate Everything.
What I did:
~ First of all I used a Dark Chocolate Brownie mix. I LOVE dark Chocolate!
~ Then I bought Dove Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Swirl Chocolates, cut them up and put them in the brownie mix.
~ For the truffle part I got just plane Dove dark chocolate in a bag instead of the chocolate chips.
~ Then for the drizzle on top I used the Raspberry swirl chocolates again.

All in all VERY GOOD, but not something I would eat everyday....(Thank heavens). It reminded me of fancy resturaunt desserts!

Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes.....

As you can tell, I'm a little obsessed with cupcakes right now! They are just perfect for eating, for sharing, for decorating......I just LOVE them! These cupcakes were inspired from a recipe that I saw on Three Sisters Cafe blog....CHerry Chocolate Cake. I dreamed them up and had to make them right away! And the outcome was SOOOOO WORTH IT!

What I did:
First I followed this recipe that I got off the Three Sisters Cafe~
1 box of devil's food cake mix
1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling ( I had canned my own last summer and used it...I love that I canned pie filling!)
1 tsp almond extract
2 eggs
Then: I put them in muffin tins. I baked them on 350* for about 16~17 minutes. I checked them after 15 minutes.
NOW for the Topping::::
I fisrt made a Ganache to put directly on the cupcake. This is the recipe:
1 Cup Whippping Cream
8 oz. of Chocolate (I used the Baker's Brand Semi-Sweet, but you could use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, unsweetened.....what ever yer feeling like)Coarsely chop up.

Bring the cream just to a boil in a sauce pan. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Just let it sit there for 5 minutes, then stir it all together. Let it cool for 15 minutes, then frost the cupcakes.

This is what it looked like with just the ganache.

Then.....if they could get better.....You whip up some cream and pi[e it on each one. They really needed some kind of pretty topping like a marchino cherry dipped in the ganache and set on top.....oooooooh I like that! I may have to try them again with that!
The whip cream recipe I use is:
1 Cup whip cream
2 T sugar
1/2 t vanilla ( I actually tried use almond extract and LOVED it! I love the smell of almond extract!)

This may sound like alot of work but really so easy and SO worth all of the work! THey were just as good if not better the second day!

GLUTEN FREE Peanut Butter Cookies

(A.K.A Pop's Munchies)

This recipe is out of a If YOu Give A Mouse A Cookie book. They are sooooo good! Chewy, Soft, and so easy to make....3 ingredients!


The Recipe:
1 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg

Preheat oven to 350*. Mix ingredients and roll into 1 inch balls. Cook for 10-12 minutes. When you take them out of the oven, make the crossy designs with a fork while they are still soft.

Better Than SANTA Cupcakes

I originally saw this idea at the Cocoa Bean in Idaho Falls. I LOVE Better Than Santa Cake.(THats what we call it these days since there are little ears!) It really is probably one of my all time favorites. Something with the carmel in the chocolate cake making it so ooey and gooey.....my mouth is salivating!!! So I Loved the idea of a cupcake....more ooey and gooey.

The cupcakes before the whipped topping.

What I did:
~ Made a box chocolate cake and made them into cupcakes. (I used applesauce instead of oil. THey trade straight across.)
~ Put store bought carmel into a pipeing bag. ( I have a tip that you use to inject things in.) You could also just poke the cupcakes with a toothpicka and put the carmel on it and it will melt down into the cake.
~ I whipped my own cream.....I have never done that before and thought it would add something special to it and boy did it! THen I put it in a pipeing bag and piped it onto the cupcakes.
~ Instead of skore bits, I used chopped up snickers. Jake had been wanting me to try that. I liked it just as well as the skore bits.
~ I kind of drizzled carmel over the top just to make it look pretty!

These are a must must must try! I made myself sick eating so many!

CupCaKEs

It has been way too long since I have put anything on this blog.....like a year! But my cooking wheels have been going again! One of my friends husband told his wife that he was enjoying the cooking war that we had going on because he got the benefits from both sides! Anyway.....I made the cupcakes below about the end of January. They were SOOOOOOO much fun to make, and they looked so cute......until the frosting starting melting. The cupcakes had cooled all night, so I contribut it wholey to bad frosting, which really didn't taste very good at all....like I scraped it off! The little "I love you" on top is out of chocolate. I just piped it onto wax paper, put it in the fridge for a little bit, then stuck it into the frosting. I loved that idea! THis is where I found the idea and recipe: http://readysetcraft.blogspot.com/2010/01/cupkins-valentines-edition.html


The things I would do/did different:
1- Just use a chocolate cake mix.
2- DEFINANTLY just use a basic buttercream frosting, not the one they use on the website.
3- I used raspberry jam....not sure how I feel about that....It seemed a little off to me, but I can't put my finger on why!

All in all it was a fun experiment that didn't turn out quite right, but was definantly worth trying!