Funfetti Cookies

Funfetti Cookies
About 20 cookies

This recipe was bopping around on Pinterest and I snagged up the repin. I made these as an incentive treat for Friday Freewrite Nummy Snack for my students. The cookies were easy and I could make a bunch quickly. When I made them, I tripled the recipe so that I would have enough cookies for everyone, plus co-workers, and my daughter and husband. They went over really well.

Ingredients

• 1 box of Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Spray a baking sheet with Non-Stick Spray.
4. Roll into about 1-inch balls and place on the baking sheet. About 10-12 per baking sheet.
5. Bake for amount 8 minutes or until starting to brown around the edges. 
6. Place on a cooling rack. Store in a sealed container or Ziploc bag.

Note: By my last batch of cookies, they were baking faster, so just keep an eye on them.

Old-Fashioned Cherry Clafoutis

Old-Fashioned Cherry Clafoutis
Serves: 6-8

I found this recipe in my Food Network magazine for July/August 2012. It was my first clafoutis and was absolutely delicious! I would definitely make this again! I had to make some changes to the original recipe (I didn't have lemon or orange zest). It was still super nummy!

Ingredients

•     2 1/2 cups pitted cherries (1 to 1 1/2 pounds whole cherries)
•     4 tablespoons whiskey
•     1 tablespoon Angostura bitters
•     Unsalted butter, for the baking dish
•     1 1/2 cups half-and-half
•     4 large eggs
•     1/2 cup all-purpose flour
•     1/2 cup granulated sugar
•     2 tablespoons lemon juice
•     2 tablespoons orange juice
•     1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
•     1 tablespoon coarse sugar

Instructions

What was left before I could get a camera!

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Toss the cherries, whiskey and bitters in a bowl and let sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
3. Drain the cherries and reserve the liquid.
4. Butter a 10-inch pie plate and arrange the cherries in the plate in a single layer.
5. Whisk the half-and-half, reserved cherry liquid, eggs, flour, sugar, lemon juice, orange juice and salt in a large bowl.
6. Pour over the cherries and bake until the edges start pulling away from the sides of the pan and the top is lightly golden, about 45 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
8. Switch the oven to the broiler setting and broil the clafoutis until golden brown and bubbling, 1 to 3 minutes.
9. Let cool at least 10 minutes.

Raisin French Toast Pudding

Raisin French Toast Pudding
Serves: 6+
I thought about bread pudding, but wanted to make french toast. I combined the two to make Raisin French Toast Pudding.

Ingredients

• 1 loaf of raisin bread ripped into chunks
• 1 cup raisins
• 8 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream
• 3 TBSP cinnamon
• 3 TBSP sugar
• 3 TBSP vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. In an 11x13 pan, either spray with a non-stick spray or use butter, then dust the butter with sugar to stop the bread from sticking. 
3. Take the chunks of bread and spread it out in the pan.
4. In a bowl, mix the eggs, half and half, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla extract.
5. Dump the mixture into the 11x13 pan with the bread and sprinkles the raisins into the mixture.
6. Mix so that all bread is covered with the liquid. Push bread down to soak up the mixture while stirring.
7. Cover with a loose dusting of cinnamon sugar if available.
8. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through.

Sweetened Condensed Milk Toast

Sweetened Condensed Milk Toast
Serves 4-5

Ingredients

• 1/2 loaf Italian bread 1/2 inch thick slices
• 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

1. Place the slices of bread on a baking sheet and put them under the broiler until toasted.
2. When one side is toasted, pull out and immediately butter each slice.
3. Turn the slices over and put them back under the broiler. When done, butter those sides.
4. Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon on each piece of buttered toast.
5. Then spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk onto each slice. Put back under the broiler for 1 minute. Check to make sure its not burning.
6. Take out and serve!

Nutella Crescents

Nutella Crescents
Serving: 4-8

Ingredients
1 package Big & Flaky Crescent Rolls
8 TBSP Nutella

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Open the crescent package and break apart the crescents into the pre-cut triangles.
3. Take 1 TBSP of Nutella and start at the largest end of the crescent and spread it a little over halfway up the triangle.
4. Roll the crescents and place them on a nonstick baking sheet. Repeat for remaining crescents.
5. Let bake until golden brown on the top.
6. Serve.

Note: You can also do this with jam.

Pineapple Risotto

Pineapple Risotto
Serves 4
Roughly 248 Calories per serving

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped into small bits
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1 cup Barefoot Chardonnay
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple

Instructions

1. In a medium pot, cook the chopped onions with the butter until the onions are tender.
2. Add the arborio rice and coat well. Cook for about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the Chardonnay and cook down.
4. Add the pineapple juice and cook down.
5. Heat the chicken broth in either a pan or in the microwave and add.
6. Cook the risotto down until tender and soft. A little give in the middle is alright, but cook to taste. Add more broth as needed until cooked down.
7. Finally, add the pineapple and mix thoroughly. Then add in the cheese and mix until fully combined.
8. Taste for seasoning (salt or pepper).

Frozen Banana Breakfast Smoothie

This recipe was inspired by the Chocolate Banana recipe I posted on here. It is a great breakfast and filling.


Frozen Banana Breakfast Smoothie
Servings: 1
Cook Time: 5 minutes (not including freezing)

Ingredients
1 large frozen banana
1 cup Light Silk Milk (or preferred milk)
6 oz preferred yogurt (I use fruit flavors)
1 tsp honey

Instructions

1. Put all ingredients into preferred blending device.
2. Hit blend until everything is perfectly incorporated.
3. Enjoy!

I usually buy the individual Dannon Light 'n Fit yogurts and just add one of the little squares into my Bullet cup. I have found that the Cherry flavor one is absolutely delicious, as well as the Pina Colada and Pear. Experiment to learn what your favorite flavor is.

Chocolate Banana Bullet Smoothie

For Christmas my mom made the best impulse present purchase ever! She got me a bullet. I think her first inclination involved making baby food for my daughter. Now I'm using it to make breakfasts and any chocolate cravings. I also prefer to drink Silk milk. It is a soy milk and I also started drinking chocolate silk milk. I saw a recipe on the side of the Silk soy milk carton that said I should freeze a sliced banana and then blend it with 1 cup of chocolate silk milk and 1 TBSP of honey. I used this recipe for my inspiration for a chocolaty delicious evening snack.

Chocolate Banana Bullet Smoothie
Servings: 2
Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups Light Chocolate Silk Milk
1 medium banana, sliced and frozen

Instructions

1. Add Silk Milk and Bananas to your blending device.
2. Blend full blast until mixed together and smooth.
3. Enjoy!

Devil’s Delight

Devil’s Delight

(Makes roughly 82)

Equipment:

Mini muffin tray
Piping Bag with tip or Piping injector

Mixer

Ingredients:

Devils Food Cake Mix (and the required ingredients - eggs, oil, water)

Strawberries (UK strawberries are small, so you will probably only need 1 strawberry for ever 6 muffins if you get normal US sized strawberries)

2/3 c. sugar

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

2 egg

8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature (1/2 cup butter)

3 3/4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Start with the Sweet Cream Cheese filling.

Sweet Cream Cheese Filling

2/3 c. sugar

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

2 egg

In a bowl, beat 2/3 cup sugar, cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla and egg until fluffy. Put aside until ready for piping. Then work on the frosting.

Butter Cream Frosting

8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature (1/2 cup butter)

3 3/4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Place butter in large mixing bowl. Blend on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop mixer and add next ingredients (use only 3 tablespoons of milk to start). Blend on low for about 1 minute and then scrape sides. Blend on medium speed for another 1 minute until light and fluffy. If the frosting seems too stiff, add the other tablespoon of milk. (Before I was done, I beat it on high until smooth, light, and fluffy for 30 seconds.) Do not refrigerate, else it will be difficult to spread.

Mix your cake mix and fill your mini muffin cups halfway up (grease tin before filling). Have your oven preheated to the directions on the box. And put your tray into the oven.

Watch the cupcakes very closely and when they are starting to get a little firm, but are still soft (maybe 5 minutes in the oven) pull them out. They can still have a somewhat liquid appearance, so don't fret. You don't want them fully cooked when injecting the filling, because you want the filling to cook into them.

Fill your piping bag or piping injector with the cream cheese filling and use a small round tip. In the middle of the muffins, going about halfway up the tip but not to the bottom of the muffin, inject filling until right before it feels like the muffin will explode. At a slow pressure, you’re adding filling for about 3/1,000 seconds. You can count with Mississippi if you prefer. You will get the hang of it as you go and don’t worry if the cupcake sticks to the tip of your piping, just wipe it off and keep going. They’ll cook over and then you’ll frost them anyways.

Once you are finished piping, put them back in the oven until they are finished cooking (again consult your box directions… maybe 10 minutes). If the cream cheese is browning, its too long.

Take the muffins out and put them on a cooling rack and continue with your next batch until all the cupcake batter is gone.

When you are finished you can frost the cupcakes either using a piping tool again or you can carefully frost the top, but you really only want a thin layer of frosting so that you can still taste the middle.

Cut up your strawberries and place 1/6 of the strawberry on top, or whatever you prefer. Arrange how you like. It worked better with just one nice slice, instead of these smaller slices.

These cupcakes are best enjoyed within 12 hours of making, but are still delicious later. Store your leftover frosting in the refrigerator, but if you are going to use it again, let it sit a little before spreading after refrigeration. The same with the cream cheese filling (it’s a good dip for leftover strawberries).

I recommend only frosting and presenting enough for the group you are making them for and storing your leftovers disassembled, but either way, make sure your muffins are either in ziplock baggies or Tupperware and the same with the other ingredients.