One Last Taste of Summer

I can hardly believe that summer is almost gone. We've had a relatively mild summer here in Texas, which has been pretty enjoyable, but i'm just wondering where my blistering summer was? Without it my summer feels incomplete. It really feels like August never even happened. 

Still, now that school has started and Starbucks got it's pumpkin spice latte back its time to say goodbye to another warm season. Personally, I'm ready for those leaves to change and the crisp air to make it's way back. The scents and flavors of fall are pretty hard to beat.  That being said I'm pretty annoyed that Starbucks already has it's Pumpkin Spice Latte back. It is one of the most wonderful of treats (even though facebook likes to tell me how gross it is). I do not care, I will drink them frequently this season. But, to me, it really takes the fun out of the season and the PSL excitement when it comes early. If we had a pumpkin spice latte all year it wouldn't make the fall so special. It's not fall yet so Put. It. Away.

 It is still summer until September 22nd people. And since I've really enjoyed the little citrus kick I've been on the past few months. So I thought I'd share one last recipe for summer for you to enjoy. These lemon Raspberry Whoopie Pies are delightful. They are a wonderful treat to end your day...or start it if you're anything like me ;).

I'm fascinated by the whoopie pie. It's basically like a cake sandwich. And you don't need a fork, so that's always nice. It makes them a great food for a party. You just have to be careful not to let the icing get too runny, which was my problem. To do that just make sure you add more powdered sugar to get a thicker consistency.

This recipe can be adjusted for a number of flavors (and seasons if you insist on switching to fall). Just switch the cake recipe to whatever you want, and adjust the icing to match it. Some good combos would be red velvet with cream cheese frosting or pumpkin with maple buttercream. And you can always stick with the basics like white cake/white icing, yellow cake/chocolate icing, etc.

**Note: to make this recipe you ideally need a whoopie pie pan, but it's not a necessity. You can buy one on amazon or bed bath and beyond if you desire.

Lemon Raspberry Whoopie Pies

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 1 C. Unsalted Butter
• 1 1/2 C. Flour
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. Lemon Zest
• 2 C. Sugar
• 2 Eggs + 3 Egg Yolks
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 C. Buttermilk

For the filling:

• 6 Tbsp. Butter, room temp.
• 2+ C. Powdered Sugar
• 1/8 tsp. Salt
•  1 Jar of Marshmallow Creme
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1 C. Fresh Raspberries

How To: 

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest in a medium bowl and set aside. 

Step 2: Beat the butter and 1 1/2 cups of your sugar together until light and fluffy. 

Step 3: Beat in your eggs and yolk one at a time just until combined. Add the lemon juice and beat until combined. For a stronger taste add a bit more lemon.

Step 4: You are going to alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk, starting and ending with flour (so the pattern should be 1/3 flour, 1/2 buttermilk, 1/3 flour, 1/2 buttermilk, 1/3 flour). Don't over beat you just want these to be combined in with your batter.

Step 5: Pour the batter into your pans (I would grease them with melted butter first). Or if you do not have a Whoopie Pie Pan. Use a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Scoop the batter onto the cookie sheet. Don't make your circles too too big though! Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden yellow and the edges slightly browning.

Step 6: After they come out of the oven let them cool to room temperature before you start filling them.

Step 7: While your pies are baking. Beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and salt and mix well.

Step 8: Add the marshmallow creme and vanilla and beat until well blended. Then add the raspberries. Beat until your icing turns pink and there are no longer chunks of raspberries left. Your filling should be thick. If it's not add some more powdered sugar until you get the consistency you ant.

Step 9: Refrigerate your icing until the pies are ready to be filled.

Step 10: When ready to ice (I used an icing bag you can use a knife if you want) begin icing the pie from the center. You don't want to go to far to the edge because when you sandwich the sides together it will over flow. After you stick the second side on you're good to go!!

No harder than making a cake or cupcakes just handheld! And having the icing in the center is a real game changer.

Hope you like them!

Happy Eating! xoxo

Tan

Key Lime Pie

There are a couple of foods and flavors that scream for their season. Winter you have cranberries, peppermint, soups and roasts. Spring brings florals, rosemary, thyme, lavender, deviled eggs. And Fall smells of cinnamon, corny dogs (You texans know what I mean), and buffalo wings for those college football watching Saturdays. Typically, I'd tell you the fall is my favorite season of the year. BUT my favorite cooking season would have to be the summer. Summer flavors like citrus, grilled steaks and fish, salads with fresh berries...the list goes on. I just love it.

Today I'm going to focus on the citrus, I can't remember the last time I let a summer go by without making a batch of lemon bars and a key lime pie....usually several. It's just so light and refreshing yet tangy and delicious! It's also a pretty easy flavor to work with and goes well with just about everything. I highly recommend the meyer lemon olive oil that O Olive Oil Company  makes. I use lemon on chicken, when i bake shrimp, in my butter that goes with crab legs, in cupcakes, in buttercream. Everywhere! And the same can be said with limes. Limes also go great with jalapenos. The multitude of combinations you can do with these two fruits is ridonkulous. Which is why I enjoy cooking in the summer so much!

Unfortunately there are a lot of reasons I have slowed down my cooking this season, but this weekend I said enough is enough and set out to make my pie.

Key Lime Pie is one of the easiest pies you can make. People pretty consistently tell me that what I think is easy is not easy for everyone else. That may be true from time to time.  But I try to share recipes that the average cook can make. Otherwise what fun is it to share them?

Pies are tricky and what is tricky about them is typically the crust. Especially when making one from scratch. With this recipe it is extremely hard to mess up the crust! And there is no crust on top which makes it even easier to deal with.

This is a recipe I found on Sweet Pea's Kitchen, but I have changed the proportions and added some vanilla. I prefer a thick layers of each level: the crust, filling, and topping. I think I'd even go larger than what I did this weekend. But it's up to you! I also used actual key limes from the grocery store where as Sweet Pea used limes. The first time I used it i used regular limes and it worked just fine. You have to use A LOT of key limes to get the required juice amount, so it just depends on how hard you want to work ;)

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:

•   8 tsp. Lime Zest
•   1 C. Lime juice*
•   8 Large egg yolks**
•   2 (14 oz.) cans of Sweetened Condensed Milk
•   18 Honey Graham Crackers
•   4 Tbsp. Sugar
•   10 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, melted
•   1 1/2 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
•   1/2 C. Confectioner's Sugar
•   2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
•   1/2 lime thinly sliced + sugar for garnish (optional)

* 6-7 Large Limes OR a whole bag of key limes
**If you don't know how to separate the eggs and yolks send me a message! But I save the whites for egg white omelets the next morning :)

How to do it:

Step 1: Whisk together your zest and egg yolks. The mixture will turn a little green and that's ok! Add the sweetened milk and whisk until combined. Then do the same with the lime juice. Put the bowl to the side and let your mixture sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This will allow your mixture to thicken. You don't need to touch it! It will do it all by itself.

Step 2: Start on your crust! Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Most pies cook best if you move your rack to the center of your oven. Use a food processor to grind the graham crackers into find pieces. Add your 4 TBSP of sugar and pulsate just until combined. Then pour your crumbs into a small bowl. Add your melted butter and mix until combined. I use my hands to make sure everything gets really evenly spread out. 

Step 3: Move your crumbs to the pie plate. Using your hands press the crumbs into the plate until evenly distributed. And don't forget to go up the sides! The crumbs tend to group together in the middle of your plate, so be sure to really work them out to the sides. 

Step 4: Bake the crust for about 20 minutes. Your oven should smell fantastic and the crust should be browning just a little. (this is hard to tell because the graham crackers are already brown!) I do it mostly based on smell. This doesn't matter too too much as the crust will continue to cook when you put it back in with the filling. That being said don't skip it!

Step 5: Pour your newly thickened filing into the crust and bake for 22-25 minutes. Gently jiggle the pie. You want the filling to be firm but still have a little bit of jiggle. If it's moving around too much it's not set enough and you need to leave it in a little longer. 

Step 6: Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then chill in your refrigerator for 3 hours. DO NOT put the cream on until it is cooled, or else it will just melt.

Step 7: While your pie is chilling you can start the whipped cream. Pour your heavy whipping cream into a bowl with your mixer. Beat on a HIGH speed until soft peaks form. (It will look like nothing is happening for a little while and then like magic it starts thickening. Quickly stick your finger in and pull it out. You should see a little tiny peak appear). Once you have soft peaks add your confectioner's sugar just a little at a time and your vanilla. Beat until you get stiff peaks! (Ones that keep their peak shape after you pull your finger out). 

Step 8: Use a spatula or icing knife to spread your whipped cream over the cake. If you want to use the garnish. take your thinly sliced lime and coat it in your sugar. You can cut a small slit and twist them, put whole slices on your cake, or do halves like I did. 

Happy Eating! 

xoxo
Tanner 

Peanut Butter and Nutella Cookies

Guys, I've been sick for like a month. It's starting to get ridiculous. I am nauseous CONSTANTLY (don't worry I'm not pregnant). The good news though is that while it has curbed my appetite I can still eat a variety of things that aren't chicken soup, ginger ale, or saltines. In fact I probably ate about 14 of these little gems, and I will argue until I'm blue in the face that they made me feel better (even if that feeling was 100% mental).

Truthfully though, these cookies are amazing. I rarely eat the stuff that I bake. I'm not sure why because I like sweets and I LOVE baking them. Perhaps I just get sick of it because I am tasting everything as I go along, or I don't want to ruin it if they turned out bad. Regardless of the reason, I hardly ever eat my own treats. So the fact that I ate so many of them should speak volumes about their deliciousness.

But the #1 factor about these cookies is how EASY they are to make (this factor also makes them kid friendly parents). Which is partly why I am posting them just in time for the long weekend. For those of us not going anywhere (or for those of you having people over) these are a great treat to make to ensure you enjoy this much needed long weekend.

I grabbed this recipe from One Hundred Dollars a Month or more precisely...Pintrest. No matter how I got there it is a really really great recipe, but i do make one change and that is adding more Nutella. I couldn't taste it enough in my first batch and I think it will be great with just a little bit extra.

Peanut Butter & Nutella Cookies

 Ingredients
1/2 C Unsalted Butter, softened
3/4 C CREAMY Peanut Butter (Jif is the natural choice)
1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Brown Sugar, packed
1 Egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 C Flour
3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/2 C. Nutella (at least!)




Instructions:

 Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper**

Step 2: Using a bowl or your fancy Kitchenaid mixing bowl add the butter, peanut butter, both white and light brown sugars, beat until smooth.

Step 3: Add the egg, and your vanilla extract and beat until combined. 

Step 4: Add the flour, baking soda and salt and continue beating until all of the ingredients are combined. make sure to get all that flour that inevitably sticks to the bottom of the bowl mixed in!
 
Step 5: Melt your Nutella in a microwave safe bowl. Gently pour it onto your dough. I think a zig zag pattern works best. Use your spatula (I used my hands because it was easier) to fold the Nutella into your dough. 
 
Step 6: Refrigerate your dough for about 15 minutes (it makes it easier to roll into balls. 

Step 7: Roll the dough into balls however big or small you want but I'd stay on the smaller side. Spread them out on your tray about an inch apart from each other. Use a fork to push the cookies down a little bit

Step 8: Bake them in the oven for 8-10 minutes. When you pull them out let them cool on a wire rack until room temperature (unless you want them gooey of course!)
 
**If you have never baked cookies on parchment paper you are MISSING OUT! Try it it helps them not stick to the pan making it really easy to get off the tray for cooling, and better yet...less cleanup for you!
 

I recommend storing them in an airtight bag or container with a piece of bread. Someone once told me that the bread helps keep the cookies moist. I'm not really sure why that is or if it really works, but I did try that this time and it worked for me!!! 

Happy Eating!

xoxo Tanner

King Cakes!

This week brings about Fat Tuesday and the start of lent. What better way to celebrate than by stuffing your face with a seasonal favorite! First of all it's tradition, and second you are likely about to make a half hearted attempt at giving up sugar so you need to get it out of your system.

King cake and I go way back. My mom has had it for us for as long as I can remember. When I couldn't find one in New York, she mailed it to me. One year she couldn't find fresh ones because they were sold out, so she sent me king cake mix to bake one myself. I was pretty lazy in college so I think that box stayed in my pantry until I moved out for the summer, but I'm making up for it now with this delicious version I found from The King Arthur Flour Company's website.

One thing that disappointed me about it was the lack of cinnamon sugar. I love that ribbon that runs through the cakes you find at our grocery store, so I ended up adding 2 TBSP. of cinnamon to this recipe...unfortunately, it did not have the added effect I desired. You can taste it but not much. The lemon definitely outdid it. If you want to add it I would consider adding more.

This is a bit of a rushed blog post this time, but only because I wanted to get this posted in time for you to enjoy this dessert for Fat Tuesday!  So without further ado

Individual King Cakes

Ingredients

• 8 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 C. Milk
• 2 Large eggs + 1 egg yolk, white reserved
• 1/4 C. Sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 2 Tbsp. Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. Lemon zest
• 3 1/2 C. Flour
• 1 Packet yeast
• 1 C. Powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
• Milk
• Sprinkles

Directions

Step 1: Combine the first ten ingredients together until a soft and smooth dough is formed.

Step 2: Cover the dough and put it in a warm place so it can rise. About an hour. 

Step 3: You can use these pre made parchment paper cups or a muffin pan. Divid the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a smooth ball. (Grease or flour your hands if the dough is too sticky)

Step 4: Drop the dough balls into the cups or baking tin. Cover the pan with a dishtowel and let the cakes rise for another hour. During this preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Step 5: Whisk the left over egg white w/ 1 TBSP of water. Brush it over your cakes

Step 6: Bake for 20 minutes. Then cover with loosely cover with aluminum foil and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cakes turn a golden brown. When done let them cool on a wire rack.

Step 7: Mix the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. You should gradually add the milk one tablespoon at a time until you get a thick icing that can still easily be spread.

Step 8: Pour over the cakes and cover in purple, green, and yellow sprinkles! ENJOY!

As usual I'd love to hear about changes you've made! Feel free to post them in the comments. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. Happy Eating! 

xoxo, Tanner

Strawberry French Macaroons

F.I.N.A.L.L.Y. I have semi-succeeded in making a macaroon. *Applause please!*

Seriously, if baking was in the Olympics then French Macaroons would be the equivalent of surviving the moguls or landing a quad in figure skating. It has taken me several attempts to finally get the fluffiness of the cookie, and this particular batch would have received some minor deductions, but they look pretty and they taste GREAT so definitely a gold medal recipe. (Like the theme I'm going with here?)

I was first introduced to macaroons on a trip to Montreal (a former Olympic site I might add) I took in college. I was in heaven. The store we went too had such a variety of flavors, and even though they were a littttttttle pricey we bought a whole box. Suffice it to say those lasted about a second, so of course we had to go back later in our trip. 

I had no idea what these little cookie balls were. I grew up loving what I thought were the "real macaroons" those toasted coconut cookies that are so delightful. Unfortunately, I quickly learned that their French cousins are far superior. French macaroons aren't exactly what you first anticipate them to be. It looks like a cookie sandwich, but when you pick it up its as light as a feather! Then you bite into the cookie and it just dissolves in your mouth. They are light and airy and not to mention beautiful to look at!

From a cooking perspective what's really fun about these cookies is how many flavors you can create. There are lots of cupcake flavors and such but you are still kind of limited. With these there are no limits. There are so many flavors that you can turn them into, and a lot of that rests in the cream or jelly you put in the center. I had one in New York this winter that was called the Elvis and was a peanut butter and banana macaroon...scoff all you want it was DELICIOUS. For this recipe I stuck with a basic flavor and a basic jelly because I was so determined to just get the cookie right! 

The first few times I tried to make them were unsuccessful. I don't know if it was the weather, my impatience, or just inexperience. I have heard though, that much like gingerbread, a rainy day can ruin your batch. This recipe came from Ricardo Cooking and what I really love about is that it used actual almonds instead of almond flour. I'm not sure if it made the difference in the cookies working, but I'm going to assume it was the savior ingredient. 

If you try this recipe and it doesn't work the first time. Don't be afraid to give it another go! They make wonderful Valentine's day treats too!

Strawberry French Macaroons

   Ingredients 

1 1/2 C. ground almonds

1 C. powdered sugar

3 egg whites

Red food coloring

1/2 C. Sugar

2 C. Strawberries, chopped

1 C. sugar

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Special utensils: candy thermometer, pastry bag

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Step 2: Use a food processor to grind the almonds and powdered sugar into a VERY VERY fine powder. (This is essential otherwise your batter will be a tiny bit clumpy). 

Step 3: Use your hand mixer to beat the egg whites and food coloring until soft peaks form. Click here (not up yet) for a primer on beating egg whites. Add the sugar just a little bit at a time and continue beating until you are seeing stiff peaks form. 

Step 4: Use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently combine the dry mixture with the egg whites.

Step 5: Use a pastry bag (DO NOT TRY THIS ANY OTHER WAY it never works, at least it didn't for me). Fit the pastry bag with any normal tip. You just want a plain circle that has a decent size opening. Then squeeze out 1 inch circles on your baking sheets. They shouldn't expand too much, but be sure to leave plenty of room between the cookies. Shake the tray or gently bang it on the counter to flatten your cookie.

Step 6: Bake one sheet at a time leaving your oven door open slightly. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Smaller cookies will bake faster so keep an eye on them!

Step 7: While those bake. Combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Stir frequently.

Step 8: Once its at a boil place a candy thermometer in the center until it reaches 219 degrees. This is really important or it won't set right. Then let cool completely. 

Step 9: Spread some jelly on one cookie and then sandwich them together. And enjoy!

You could also use jelly from a jar if you prefer or don't want to make your own jelly. Just buy one that isn't too runny. 

This is a really tricky dessert to make even though it doesn't seem like it. So cut yourself some slack and keep trying if it doesn't go great the first time. Feel free to message me with any pointers or questions you might have!

I hope you love it! Happy Eating

Tanner

Beb's Banana Pudding

I never know how to feel on Hayden's birthday. Should I be sad? Should I celebrate? Should I ignore it? It's the second hardest day of the year for me. I want to be happy and celebrate it but it's hard to ignore the lingering and nagging grief and sadness, She should be the one celebrating not me. But in true Hayden fashion I'm sure she is at the beach somewhere getting a super dark tan and reading the flood of Facebook messages that are finally all about her ;).

I really embraced cooking after she died. It was an outlet, I didn't have to think. But most importantly the smells and the food itself were so comforting. Pasta's, cupcakes, popcorns...all that stuff that is so bad for you but warms your heart and reminds you of home all at the same time. I've often thought about writing a book about cooking through grief and how it helped me get by. As tragic as this situation has been and still is, the silver lining was that I found a love for cooking and sharing that with all of you.

Today I have really loved seeing everyone remembering, wearing purple or pieces of her clothing, eating her favorite foods. So it's only appropriate to share a recipe for one of her all time favorite foods...Banana Pudding.

 

First, you need a little back story on this gem of a snack. I guess it all goes back to Black Eyed Pea. We had one down the street and frequently ate there as a family. I don't think anyone ever ate their meals especially not the vegetables, but we certainly ate that banana pudding. It was a moment where all four of us could come together and appreciate something (that doesn't happen often). This period was follwed by a lull in banana pudding eating. Not to worry though, we more than made up for lost time when Hayden moved up to New York with me. I had discovered that Magnolia Bakery offered a $45 dollar tub...yes a large TUB of banana pudding. I made the mistake of telling Hayden about these heavenly tubs, and soon she was there on a regular basis. She would single handedly devour those tubs. She might have claimed to buy one for her whole apartment, but we all know she would just finish it alone in one sitting. Those expensive tubs brought her so much joy, and brought the rest of us years of laughs with her then and now.

The banana pudding recipe I'm going to share with you is by Paula Deen. Everyone can have their opinion about her, but the lady is a darn good cook. And her banana pudding is absolutely amazing. Lots of southern families have family recipes that have been passed down, but do yourself a favor and give this one a try. It might just become your new favorite and one of the best ways to remember Hayden.

Beb's Banana Pudding

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies*
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 box instant** French vanilla pudding (5 oz.)
1  package cream cheese (8 oz), softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
1  container Cool Whip thawed (12 oz)

*Make sure to get the seasonal ones for Christmas!

**Make sure you get instant! This is essential

Step 1: Use the cookies to line the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch casserole dish, Then make a second layer with the sliced bananas.

Step 2: Blend the milk and pudding mix with an electric mixer. In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese and condensed milk together until smooth. (DON'T CHEAT! Make sure it's smooth). Gently add the cool whip into the cream cheese mixture and then add to the pudding mixture. Stir until completely blended.

Step 3: Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas. Then top it off with a final layer of cookies.

 

Step 4: Refrigerate! You could eat it right away but I suggest refrigerating for 1-2 hours so it gets nice and cool. The way banana pudding should be eaten.

 

I hope you like this recipe as much as I do. It has become a staple in my recipe arsenal, and it is a quick and easy dish to bring to any get together or party you may have especially during this hectic holiday season. 

Happy Eating and lots of love to HH today. Happy Birthday Beb, we all love you very much

xoxo Tanner

Sinfully Addicting Red Velvet Brownies

I want to write about how just how amazing these brownies are, but the words cannot do these little guys justice. It's definitely the most requested recipe by friends and family, and they have been huge hits when i've given them as gifts. With Valentines day right around the corner, this could be a good recipe to perfect!

I will give fair warning about experimenting with the recipe though. I tried to double a batch and it was a failure. I haven't decided if it's because the ingredients don't work well doubled or if it just made them two thick. I used the same size pan as a single batch, so perhaps if I had switched to a rectangle they would have cooked more evenly. That being said, if any of you try to alter the recipe and succeed (or fail ;) ) please let me know!

Another helpful tip about this recipe is in the parchment paper. I HATE trying to get parchment paper to stay or to keep it's shape when pouring in batter. To do so is an art form...one i am still trying to perfect. But  I have found it helpful to fold the sides to help it keep its shape, and just tape it to the outer edge of the pan until you pour in the batter (just don't forget to remove the tape!) It really does make a huge difference.

But without further ado.......drum roll please!!!!

***I forgot to take a picture when they were done!!!! WHOOPS!

Red Velvet Brownies

1/2 C. of room temperature butter

1 1/2 C. Sugar

2 Eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

1 1/4 C. Flour

1/4 tsp. salt

3 Tbs. Cocoa Powder

2 Tbs. Red Food Coloring

White Chocolate Icing (optional...but necessary)

1/2 C. Room Temperature Butter

2 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

4 Oz. White Chocolate

1-2 Tbs. milk

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and either line a baking pan with parchment paper or grease and flour it. (**If bringing to a party I recommend the parchment paper it makes it easier to cut clean squares)

Step 2: In a small bowl mix the cocoa powder, food coloring, and 1 tsp. of vanilla to form a paste like mixture. 

Step 3: In a larger bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy!!! (**"IT'S SO FLUFFFFYYYYYYY" - I love Despicable Me, what a great movie!) Add the eggs one at at time and then the rest of the vanilla. Beat in your paste mixture, and then SLOWLY add the flour and salt.

Step 4: Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. DO NOT ICE THEM UNTIL COMPLETELY COOLED!!!!

Step 5: Melt the white chocolate (**You can find instructions on the package or ask me!) then set it aside. Then cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy again. add the vanilla, and then slowly start adding the powdered sugar. When mixed in add the white chocolate. Finally add just tiny bits of milk a time until you reach the desired consistency. (**If you over do it just add more powdered sugar) Then you can ice them and eat up!

If you gain 20 pounds because you can't stop eating this...don't blame me! I tried to warn you

Eggnog Fudge

Need a way to use up any leftover eggnog? Try this fudge it's relatively easy and tastes amazing. Even though a fudge recipe is short and doesn't take much time it still can be a little bit of an art form. Before starting this recipe make sure you have a candy thermometer!!!!! One of the steps requires you to boil some of the ingredients, and they MUST reach a certain temperature or it will never give you the right consistency; leaving you with a gooey mess.

I quadrupled my recipe for the holidays and it made far too much. If you make it for a party I would suggest making a batch and a half, but pouring it into the same pan so you get thicker squares of fudge. A single batch is plenty though!!!

Fair warning this stuff is incredibly addicting.

Eggnog Fudge Recipe

2 C. sugar

1/2 C. salted butter

3/4 C. Eggnog

10.5 Oz. White Chocolate bars - chopped

**(Note: I just use a bag of white chocolate chips)

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg + a little extra to sprinkle on top

7 Oz. jar of Marshmallow creme

1 tsp. Rum or Rum extract

Step 1: Line a pan (you can use square or rectangle - if you double it use a rectangle or 2 squares!) with aluminum foil and lightly butter it.

Step 2: In a large sauce pan boil the sugar butter and eggnog until a candy thermometer reads 234 degrees. This will take about 10 minutes, and make sure you are stirring constantly. Take it off the heat.

Step 3: Use a wooden spoon, and QUICKLY add the white chocolate and stir until smooth. Then add the nutmeg, marshmallow creme and rum. When well blended you can pour it in the pan and sprinkle some nutmeg on top to make it pretty!

Step 4: Let it cool at room temperature or put it in the refrigerator until hard. (**I recommend the refrigerator if you have the extra space, it is SIGNIFICANTLY faster)

Step 5: Cut into squares and enjoy!

Champagne Marshmallows

When you think of Valentine's Day, what comes to your mind? Roses, Candy, Love, Hearts.......Champagne! Every thing you hear about Valentine's Day includes Champagne. Want to stay in our love suite for a night? Enjoy a complimentary bottle of Champagne. Don't bother going out to eat that night it can be depressing to watch all of the couples sitting there smiling over their glasses of....you guessed it Champagne.

But this year we are not worried about being a couple, we are worried about loving ourselves and everyone else worth while in our lives. Soooooo why not enjoy some Champagne ourselves? Almost everyone enjoys a glass of it every now and then. Today though we are going to do more than just drink Champagne we are going to eat it! In a big, white, fluffy kind of way. These little marshmallows are surprisingly delicious and taste great on a s'more.

Champagne Marshmallows

1 1/2 oz. gelatin (I use the knox brand)

27 oz. champagne (separated)

11 oz. corn syrup

28 oz. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

optional: seeds from 1 vanilla bean 

Plenty of Powdered Sugar!!

Step 1:

     Lightly grease a 9" x 13" 

Step 2:

     Combine the gelatin and 11 ounces of the Champagne together in a bowl you can use a mixer with. Set it aside

Step 3: 

     Pour 16 oz. of Champagne into a medium pot over medium-low heat. Simmer the champagne for about 15 minutes or until the mixture is reduced by half. You are trying to get to right around 8 oz. If you think it's gone too far, just add a little more Champagne.

Step 4:

     In the same pot add corn syrup, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean scrapings (if using) to the champagne. Turn the heat up to medium and stir. Try not to push the liquid up the sides of the pot. Leave it on the heat undisturbed until mixture registers 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Once you reach that temperature take the pot off the heat and let it cool to 210 degrees. (DON'T BE LAZY OR GENEROUS WITH THE TEMPERATURES!)

Step 5:

     When cooled, pour the mixture into the mixing bowl with the gelatin. Using your mixer, whip the mix on medium speed for about a minute or until gelatin has fully melted. 

Step 6:

     Turn your mixture on high and whip until mixture has tripled in volume...(this takes some time, so don't get discouraged - I thought I was doing it wrong, and my mom and i fuddled with it then all of a sudden it got huge!) Pour this goo into the pan and bang it against the counter to level the mixture. 

Step 7:

      Dust the top of the giant marshmallow with some powdered sugar, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours (preferably overnight)

Step 8:

     To cut the marshmallows....dust a cutting board with powdered sugar. Take the marshmallow out of the pan....all of it...literally pull the entire thing out by digging your fingers under a side. Using a chef's knife, cut it into strips and then cubes of any size you life. Or use cookie cutters to get shapes. 

Step 9:

    Roll each piece in powdered sugar so it isn't sticky and enjoy!

**Note: store them in an air tight container or a zip lock bag. 

   There is a lot you could do with these. You can dye them, use cookie cutters, give them as gifts, put them in ice cream, roast them. They are very versatile and very yummy. I hope they spice up your Valentine's Day! Everyone else will be drinking their glass of Champagne only to be enjoyed for a few minutes one night. You'll get to have your Champagne and continue to enjoy it for weeks!