Welcome to my baking blog

Well, here is my New Year's Resolution! I have always been told I should start a baking blog, and truly, it’s always something I've wanted to do myself. My resolution for 2012 is to keep a baking blog by posting some of my favorite and personal recipes. My plans for this blog are simple - easy baking. I find that a lot of people are intimidated by baking, so I am here to show you, step-by-step, that baking is easy and very fun. We have all burned cookies, forgotten the sugar, and even thrown out an entire batch of something that looked beautiful online. I hope you enjoy!






Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Valentines Peanut Butter Kisses

Happy Valentine's Day!  Today, I have one of the easiest recipes you'll ever see on here.  This is a simple twist to the classic peanut butter kiss cookie.


INGREDIENTS:

1 package of peanut butter cookie mix
1 egg
1 Tablespoon of water
1/2 cup of sugar
3 Tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil
1 package of chocolate hearts (Reese's, Dove, etc.)


DIRECTIONS:

Pre-Heat oven to 375 and mix cookie mix, oil, water and egg until dough forms well


Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.





As soon as cookies are ready, pull them out and immediately begin placing chocolate hearts into the middle of the cookie




Yumm! Enjoy!
Best right out of the oven of course!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Brown Sugar Cookie Bake

In honor of my best friend's birthday and my brother and sister-in-law's 2 year wedding anniversary, I have decided to post a very yummy recipe that I originally found on http://www.bakedperfection.blogspot.com/.
Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:



1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter - melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg - beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup M&M's


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.


In a separate bowl, mix melted butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Beat mixure until mixed well.


Slowly add in four mixture


Mix well. Add in M&Ms (leave a few for top of cookie)



Place dough into a round 8 inch pan. Spread evently and top with extra M&Ms




Bake for 20-25 minutes.  It will smell WONDERFUL when you open the oven!



Let your cookie cool for plenty of time.  I have this handy pan with a removable bottom - so I just push up - and out pops the cookie with perfect edges :)  I highly recomment a pan like this. I got mine from my mother-in-laws collections, so unfortunately I dont know where to tell you to get out----but get one!!




Enjoy!






Monday, February 6, 2012

Sprinkles On The Cake

That's right - I'm going to go ahead and call this recipe 'Sprinkles On The Cake.'  This is a super easy cake to make and you can relate it to any holiday, baby shower, or just a fun cake!  I originally saw this cake when I Googled 'Candy Cake.'  Then I joined the female equivalent of Fantasy Football and joined Pinterest - and also saw it there.  I just took basic recipes and put it together by sight. I hope you enjoy and have fun making this for others.  It's a great conversation piece to say the least.


SPRINKLES ON THE CAKE


INGREDIENTS:

1 package of M&Ms (whatever colors you prefer)
2 boxes of cake mix (whatever flavors your prefer)
1 tub of frosting
3 sleeves of wrapped KitKat candy bars

DIRECTIONS:

Follow instructions on cake mixes and make 2 round cakes




Allow cakes to cool and cut off tops to make them even


Ice the top of one cake, and place the other layer on top



Completely ice the cake



Begin stacking KitKat bars around the cake


Pour M&M's on top of cake




Take matching ribbon and tie around cake.  Enjoy!



Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Red Hot CrockPot Applesauce


Hello February!  Everyone is always saying how they can't believe its already February, or July or how the kids are going back to school - but seriously - I can't believe its February.  Maybe its because we haven't had any real snow this season in central Ohio or maybe its because Greg and I are getting ready to celebrate our THREE year wedding anniversary!
I have always loved Valentines Day, so this entire month will feature Valentine's Day themed desserts.  I used to love Valentines Day in school growing up when our class always had a contest for the best homemade Valentine box.  I remember one year, in 4th grade, I won with a TV design. I remember trying to decide what was going to be playing on the TV and I decided to do Reading Rainbow since we watched it every Friday in class. Needless to say, the class LOVED it! 
Speaking of school memories...this recipe comes from a memory in first grade, 1991 for those who are counting.  When I wasn't busy getting pink slips for flushing someone NKOTB trading card down the toilet - I was enjoying classroom holiday parties :) Valentines Day in first grade, my mother came in to help with the party and we made crock pot applesauce. YUM! The day doubled as a lesson on Johnny Appleseed too...which my brother and I were just discussing the validity of that story...hmm.

Anyway, here is a SUPER easy, warm treat for any time of the year.

RED HOT CROCKPOT APPLESAUCE




INGREDIANTS:

About 15 apples ( I use Gala)
1/2 Cup of Water
1/2 Cup of Apple Juice or Cider
1 Cup of Brown Sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons of cinnamon
1/2 Cup of Cinnamon Red Hots (Amount is optional - On a scale of 1 to 10, using 1/2 cup would be about a 5)


99% of your time for this recipe will be spent peeling the apples.
Peel and core apples. Cut into small pieces.



Place all ingredients in the CrockPot and place the heat level to low - about 6-8 hours.




About every hour or so, go in and smash the ingredients around - also, enjoy the aroma with every lift of the lid :)



Smell.All.Day.Long...




Once apples are completely broken down, you will have a beautiful RED HOT cinnamon applesauce. Enjoy! This also heats up very well.




YUMMMMMM.....