Carmelized Apple or Pear Parfait with Macadamia Nut Crisp

This is a perfect spring and summer dessert!

Ingredients

6 large apples or pears, peeled cored and chopped into 1-inch chunks
1 tbsp lemon juice
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground all spice
Whipped cream, for serving
Ground cinnamon , for garnish

Macadamia Nut Crisp
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
5 tbsp butter, slightly softened
3/4 cups chopped macadamia nuts(You can use walnuts or pecans too)

Directions

In a medium saucepan. combine apples or pears with lemon juice and toss to coat. Add sugar, grated zest, salt and allspice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. cook until the fruit is soft and most of the juices have evaporated, stirring occasionally. The remaining juices should be syrupy and beginning to caramelize, Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Preheat oven to 350*.

To prepare the crisp , combine flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, Cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter and rub into the dry ingrexients until crumbly. Add nuts and toss to incorporate. Break up the mixture onto a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown , about 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.
In parfait or wine glasses, alternate layers of fruit , crisp and whipped cream, finishing with whipped cream on top and a dusting of cinnamon.
 Makes 4-6 servings.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Happy 18th Birthday Kryshawna! My daughter found this recipe online for me! It was a blast to bake!
We can't wait to eat it!

I think it turned out great!

Peanut Butter Cheesecake (Im sorry I do not know where on line she got this recipe)
Ingredients


• FOR BROWNIE CRUST

• 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted

• 1-¼ cup Sugar

• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract (I Used Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla)

• 2 whole Eggs

• 1 cup Flour

• 2 Tablespoons Flour

• ⅓ cups Unsweetened Cocoa

• ½ teaspoons Baking Powder

• ½ teaspoons Salt

• 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

• 1 cup Peanut Butter Chips

• 6 whole Peanut Butter Cups - Cut Into Quarters

• _____

• FOR CHEESECAKE FILLING

• 2 pounds Cream Cheese, softened

• 5 whole Eggs, Room Temperature

• 1-½ cup Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed

• 1 cup Smooth Peanut Butter

• ½ cups Whipping Cream

• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract (I Used Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla)

• _____

• FOR DECORATION

• ½ cups Whipping Cream

• 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

• 1 cup Peanut Butter Chips

• 6 Peanut Butter Cups, Cut In Half



Preparation directions:

Brownie Crust:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch Springform pan with butter.

2. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with spoon or wire whisk. Add eggs; stir until well blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; blend well. Spread in prepared pan.

3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownie begins to pull away from side of pan. Meanwhile make cheesecake layer (see below).

4. Immediately after removing brownie from oven, sprinkle milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups over brownie surface. Spoon cheesecake mixture over chips. Turn down oven 325°.

Cheesecake Filling:

5. Beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth.

6. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

7. Add sugar, peanut butter and cream; mix until smooth.

8. Stir in vanilla.

9. Pour filling into prepared crust. (I had left over batter..I put in to two ramekins and baked along with cheesecake)



10. Double-wrap Springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent water seeping in.

11. Place Springform pan into a larger baking pan.

12. Pour hot water into the larger pan so that the water comes 1 inch up the sides of the Springform pan.

13. Bake at 325 degrees 1-1/2 hours, or until firm and lightly browned.

14. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for one hour.

15. Run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan somewhat.

16. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before decorating. I tend to make cheesecakes a day ahead to let things set.

Cheesecake tip: to get the cake off the bottom of the Springform pan, because most crusts have butter in them, you just need to heat up the bottom of the pan a bit and the cake should come off easily. I remove the sides, then hold the pan over a burner on my stove – set to LOW – for about 15 or so seconds. Whatever you can handle. Then run a long cake spatula under the cake and it should slip easily off the pan. Just be careful – the bottom of the cake is now very slippery.

17. Remove cake from pan and put on a pretty plate.

18. Bring whipping cream to boil in a small saucepan.

19. Remove from heat and add semi-sweet and peanut butter chips. Stir, stir, stir until melted and smooth.

20. Drizzle over cake and then add peanut butter cup halves around the edge of the cake.

My First Cake Pops!

These are time consuming but so fan to make and they taste so good! This is my first time making them and I am so glad I did!  Here are some things I learned and did along the way.

This is the recipe I used:

Things you need:

1 box cake mix, any flavor. I used Betty Crocker super moist Chocolate

1 tub(16 oz) frosting(any flavor) or you can use your own homemade recipe.

Almond bark(white or chocolate)

Candy sprinkles, nuts or crushed cookies to decorate.

Lollipop sticks(I found these at Walmart and Joann's fabric)

Styrofoam block (used for after dipping) I found mine at Joann's fabric

cello bags..I found mine at Walmart

Curling ribbon

 Bake the cake mix according to package directions.  Cool the cake completely. Crumble the cake into a large bowl and add a 1/2 cup of frosting. Mix with your washed clean hands until combined and thick like a truffle center. You can use additional frosting if necessary. I found that 1/2 cup was perfect.

 Roll mixture into 1"inch balls and place on cookies sheet. Place in the refigerator over night or at least 1 hour.

 You can use the microwave to melt your chocolate but I would highly recommend this Chocolate Melter. I got mine at Walmart for $20.00. It was well worth it. It melts the chocolate quickly and keeps it warm while your dipping. I love it!

 I love these fun sprinkles! I can think of so many things to dip cake pops in. Oreos, candy canes, snickers....

 I have not tried the cookies sticks yet. I want to make a little larger cake pops next and use the bigger stick. The lollipop sticks work well

 OK on to the dipping part. This is fun and you will get a technique down that works for you. I inserted the tip of the lollipop stick in to the chocolate and then stuck it in the flat side of the cake (the side that is down on the cookie sheet) I insert it a little more then half way.

 Gently insert the cake ball in to the chocolate rotating it around until it's completely covered. I gently tap the side to release some of the chocolate.

 Immediately cover with sprinkles and then insert in a Styrofoam board . I put my block in the refrigerator and let them harden in there.

 Waiting to be dipped. I found putting all the sticks in first saves time.

 Hardening in the refrigerator..they set up quickly!

 I was getting better at the end and dipping two at a time.

 You must put the sprinkles on your self..do not try to roll the cake pops..you will have a big  cake mess!

 You can wrap them up individually. I found this takes to long. I ended up putting 4 to 6 in a bag.

 Im really happy with the way they turned out! They are super moist and I love the sprinkles!!

 All done and ready to take to my neighbors!  I have another cake cooling and I am making chocolate frosted cake pops next!

Mini Trifle

This is a perfect healthy mid afternoon snack!

 My recipe:
Greek yogurt
Apple chunks
frozen blueberries
Pumpkin seeds
Puffin cocoa puff cereal
1 tsp. almond butter
Layer and enjoy!
You can add whatever your heart desires, the possibilities are endless!

Christmas Crack

I got this recipe from a friend. The name is different...I think it's so good it's as addictive as crack! I made it today for the first time and it's wonderful. It would be a perfect  Christmas treat for neighbors!

 Recipe for Christmas Crack

2 cups of the following:
M and Ms
Square pretzels
peanuts
plain Cheerios
Rice or Corn Chex cereal
2 bags of White Chocolate morsels

Mix the dry ingredients together in large bowl

 Microwave(slowly) the white chocolate morsels. Pour melted morsels over the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour out onto wax paper to about 1 inch thick. Let cool. Break apart. Store in the fridge.

Reduced calorie Chocolate Peanut Butter Fluffs

A dear friend of mine gave me this recipe. I have had it for over a year now and just got to making it. My daughter has been so careful with her new diet, she has lost 7 pounds! I wanted her to have a little something sweet every so often. I decided to give these a whirl....
 Reduced Calorie Chocolate Peanut Butter Fluffs
Recipe
 9 reduced fat graham cracker syares, crushed finely 2 tbsp. butter, melted 2 cups lift or fat free Cool Whip 1 cup 1% milk 1/2 cup, plus 1 tbsp reduced fat peanut butter 1 (1.4 ounce) package sugar free chocolate pudding mix

Directions: Line 12 muffin cups with paper liner, set adside In a small bowl, combine graham crumbs and melted buter, press about 1 tbs mixture into each lined muffin cup. Top each cup with about 2 tsp Cool Whip. In a large mixing bowl, beat peanut butter and milk together at low speed. Add the pudding mix and beat one minute. Fold in remaining Cool Whip. Distribute evenly amoung the muffin cups. Freeze for several hours or overnight. To serve, remove fluffs from freezer, peel liner and let stand at room temperature to soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Note Each fluff is about 140 calories and 12 grams of carbs

These are delicious!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cake with Cream Cheese and Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Frosting

I'm sorry I will not be baking with Spike and the other SMS bakers. Please check out the recipe here for Easy Chocolate Mousse http://spikebakes.blogspot.com/ I have been wanting to bake this cake ever since I saw it on http://thescootabaker.blogspot.com/ blog. It was love at first site! I made it for Valentines day!

Delicious Pumpkin Nut Roll

This is so easy to make and so tasty!
 Recipe
 3 eggs
1 cup sugar
 2/3 cup pumpkin
 1 tsp lemon juice
 1/2 cup nuts( I use walnuts)
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
 2 tsp cinnamon
 1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
 Beat eggs at high speed for 5 minutes. Gradually add sugar; stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. Sift all dry ingredients and fold into pumpkin mixture. Place into well greased jelly roll pan.
 Bake at 375* for 10 to 15 minutes.
 Take out of oven and put on towel that is heavily covered with powdered sugar.

Roll immediately.

Let cool....Unroll it and spread with cream cheese mixture.

Filling

8 oz. cream cheese

4 T. butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanillaRoll it back up.

Wrap it up with plastic or parchment paper and freeze it. You can remove from freezer and thaw to room temperature when your ready to serve. Try to slice the roll when its harder but not frozen!

You can also sprinkle your roll with additional powdered sugar if you want to. Yummy!! Enjoy this recipe!

Fresh Peach Crisp

I had four peaches waiting to be eaten on my kitchen counter. There has not been any takers for three days now, so I decided to make this peach crisp. I can't tell you how good it tastes..trust me it's GOOD! I am a big fruit crisp fan so this was a delightful evening treat for me. See Recipe below. I have used this recipe over and over for many years. I cut it out of a Taste of Home Magazine years ago. It was a Midwest blue ribbon winner at the fair. It's proven itself over and over again to be a very GOOD tasting crisp. I hope you will give the recipe a try!

Before the oven...Piping hot out of the oven....

Peach Crisp

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup rolled oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

4 cups chopped peeled peaches(or any other fruit you desire)

1 cup white sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 cup water

1 tsp vanilla extract

Vanilla ice cream, optional

In a mixing bowl, combine first four ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half into a greased 2-1/2 qt. baking dish or a 9 inch square pan. Cover with selected fruit.

In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, water and vanilla; cook and stir until thick and clear. Pour over apples. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 350* for about 1 hour . Serve warm with ice cream.

Yield: 8 servings.

Enjoy!! Michelle

Peach Crisp

What a perfect Fall day for a yummy fruit crisp. I have made this crisp several time with apples. My neighbor was nice to share some peaches from her peach tree. I decided they would go perfect in this crisp recipe!

Today was started out by watching my daughters soccer game from the Yukon. It rained the entire day..no not rained it POURED! Those girls are so amazing and won their game! Kryshawna is a freshmen this year and has been invited to play up to varsity the last two games!! After the game it was time for some football. Our local college team, Idaho State Univ. went against the Montana State Bobcats. It was a GREAT game, but we lost by about 12 points :(. I do love going to the Mini dome. It's fun to see old friends from the high school days!

Soooo after a long day of sports I thought nothing would be better than to settling down to a nice peach crisp with vanilla ice cream.

Peach crisp 1 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup rolled oats 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 cup butter, softened 4 cups chopped peaches or what ever fruit you like 1 cup white sugar 2 tbsp cornstarch 1 cup water 1 tsp vanilla Vanilla ice cream, optional

Directions: In a mixing bowl, combine first four ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half into a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish or a 9-in. square baking pan. Cover with fruit. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, water and vanilla; cook and stir until thick and clear. Pour over fruit, Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 350* for 1 hour. Serve warm, with ice cream if desired.