Celebrating 100!

Hi everyone! Today I am celebrating the number 100! Why you ask? There are exactly 100 days until this guy comes home-



Let me introduce you to my dear friend K.C. John. K.C. is serving a mission in Brazil right now, and he is doing great! He is such an example to me of someone who works hard and doesn't give up. Any trial he faces only makes him that much stronger. I am so thankful to have him as a friend! K.C. is also an incredible soccer player! It is so fun to him play watch! This is a picture of us at his last game before his mission. K.C. is one of my very, very best friends and I'm excited for him to come home!



So that's why I am celebrating 100 today! Will you celebrate with me? How about you celebrate 100 too and make these cookies-



YUM. Are you drooling yet? If so, take a minute to grab a napkin and wipe off your keyboard and then listen up! These are S'mores stuffed chocolate chip cookies and they are heaven! I don't know about you guys but I am totally ready for summer! You know- campfires, camping trips, swimming, vacations, s'mores, etc. Well, here's a little taste of summer right here. I did a little cookie experiment a couple of weeks ago and these were one of the recipes that I tried. You can find the recipe over at Picky Palate! I am always so impressed with all of the creations that she comes up with. They are always so cute and so delicious!

Anyways, give them a shot! These cookies are MASSIVE. Seriously you could probably share one with someone. My mom and I split one and we were both content with our portion sizes- which is rare. :)

Have a wonderful 100 day celebration everyone!

Spring Break & Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

Hi everyone! This past week I spent my time here-



doing this-



and this-



and this-



and this-



looking in this-



drooling over this-







and eating this-



Let's just say it was the best spring break ever. It was so nice to get away to somewhere warm and relax with my friends. I think I was born to live in California because hanging out at the beach all day felt all too natural to me. The only thing I would have to work on would be my driving. California drivers are straight up crazy!

Speaking of crazy, let me tell you about a bar cookie that is crazy good. I found the recipe for these on the blog Baking and Boys. She adapted the recipe from Kraft Foods, and I adapted it a little bit more. Here is what they look like-



Drooling yet? If you love peanut butter this is definitely a treat for you to try! The recipe calls for a chocolate cake mix, but I didn't have one so I used a yellow cake mix instead and it turned out great. I have made these once before using a chocolate cake mix and they were absolutely divine, so I guess it just depends on your taste buds and what kind of treat you're after. I omitted the peanuts because we didn't have any on hand, but my family (Josh) doesn't really like nutty treats anyway. I didn't have very many chocolate chips, so I chopped up a couple of mini Mr. Goodbars (I guess there were actually a couple of peanuts in there after all)and Hersheys bars that Josh got from his friend to make up for it. Anyways, I love these bars! They are addicting so be careful! Don't leave yourself alone with a pan of these- that's dangerous.



Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
From Kraft Foods, Adapted by Karina from Baking and Boys

1 chocolate cake mix (or yellow)

1 package (3.9 oz.) Jell-O Chocolate Instant Pudding (I used vanilla since I used a yellow cake mix)

1/2 unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup cold milk

6 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped (I used chocolate chips and chopped up mini chocolate bars)

1 cup Planters' Peanuts, divided (I omitted)

1 3/4 cups creamy peanut butter (Kraft recipe only uses 1 cup, Katrina thought it needed more, I agree)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with foil. Spray lightly with cooking spray.

Mix the first 4 ingredients until blended. (The dough will be thick.) Press half the cake mix mixture into the prepared pan. Bake this for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle half the chocolate and half the peanuts over the hot crust. Top this with peanut butter. For easier spreading, let it sit a few minutes to warm and thin out. (Again, original recipe only calls for 1 cup of peanut butter, but I thought it spread better when I added more AND it's good!) Sprinkle the remaining cake mix mixture over the peanut butter and then the rest of the chopped chocolate and peanuts. Press down gently with a spatula. Bake 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate 4 hours before cutting into bars. (Don't skip this and try to cut them too early. It REALLY helps them set up.)

ENJOY!!

Oreo Fudge Bars

Hello everyone! I'm starting to think I should rename myself and my blog the "Weekend Baker" because I just don't have much time for it during the week. I have a list of recipes piled up that I need to share with you! I'm going to try and remember to post a least one of those during the week since I usually don't get around to baking until the weekend.

Anyways, let's talk about Oreo Fudge Bars! I found this recipe over at Baking Blonde's blog. I love these bars! They are pure heaven! They are super rich so if rich, chocolaty desserts bother you- go a little easy. Along with being super delicious, these bars are so simple to make! Only 4 ingredients! Quick, easy, and very yummy!

Go here to find the recipe!

Chocolate PB Cup Cupcakes

Hi everyone! Craving something with peanut butter and chocolate? Make these! They are so simple and so yummy. Pick up a Devil's Food Cake mix and a bag of mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups next time you're at the store and you'll be ready to whip these up! The recipe said to frost these with Peanut Butter frosting, which I did... at first. After I took one my bite my taste buds were telling me that the frosting needed to have some chocolate in it, so I added some cocoa. :) To be honest, I'm not sure how much cocoa I even added. I just kept shaking some in, mixing it up, and then tasting it until I was pleased with the flavor. Anyways, it's totally up to you! You can do what I did and frost one cupcake with the peanut butter frosting, try it, and then add cocoa if you want to! Either way you will NOT be disappointed. There's a peanut butter cup in the middle for heaven's sake! You can't go wrong with that, right?! I made these for an ambassador party and they were a hit! Enjoy!!



Chocolate PB Cup Cupcakes with Peanut Butter or Peanut Butter/Chocolate Frosting :)

(Makes 24 cupcakes or 12 jumbo cupcakes)
Ingredients:
-1 box Devil’s Food cake mix
-1-1/4 cup water
-1/2 cup applesauce (or oil)
-3 eggs (*I used 1 egg + 1/2 cup egg substitute)
-1 small bag Reese’s peanut butter cups, unwrapped
-Peanut Butter Frosting (see recipe below)
Directions:
Mix cake mix, water, applesauce (or oil) and eggs according to directions on box (2 minutes on medium speed with electric mixer).
Fill muffin pan with liners, and fill liners 2/3 full with batter. Bake according to directions on package (350 degrees for 18-20 minutes). Allow cupcakes to cool for about 10 minutes, then gently press one peanut butter cup into each cupcake. Don’t worry about what they look like, since you’ll be frosting them anyways.
It’s important to put the PB cups in while the cupcakes are still somewhat warm; that way, they’ll get slightly soft and melted.
Once cupcakes are cooled completely, it’s time to frost them!

Peanut Butter Frosting
(Enough to frost 24 cupcakes or 12 jumbo cupcakes)

-1/3 cup smooth natural peanut butter (I used regular)
-3 cups powdered sugar
-1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-1/4 cup milk (plus more to achieve desired consistency)

Directions:
Blend peanut butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar until combined. Add milk and mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Continue to add milk until you get the desired consistency.
After frosting the cupcakes, top each cupcake with some extra peanut butter cups chunks & a dusting of cocoa powder, if desired.

Recipe from Sweet Tooth Sweet Life

SuperBowl Weekend Treats....SO late.

Better late than never right? I'm sorry it has taken me so long to post new recipes. Life as a college student can get pretty darn crazy. Seriously, there isn't much time for anything else during the week other than homework and studying. Sometimes it feels like there isn't even time to eat or sleep! Anyways, school is great, life is fantastic, and here are some yummy treats!

As you all know, a few weekends ago was the Superbowl!! The Superbowl is always such a fun time at the Kite house. The boys get super excited about the game and all of the "Man Food" that they are allowed to consume that day. The girls get excited for the commercials, half time show, and all of the yummy treats :) We made some super yummy treats for the Superbowl this year, and I'm positive that my excessive consumption sent me into a sugar coma that night. Anyways, here's the round-up of the "sweet" treats that we enjoyed for the big game.

Fudge Puddle Pizza



Remember the fudge puddles I made for New Year's? This creation is basically a fudge puddle in pizza form! I whipped up a batch of Josh's favorite chocolate chip cookies, spread the dough onto a greased pizza pan, topped it with the fudge filling and marshmallows, and plopped it in the oven at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. YUM. Seriously this fun treat was soooo good! It's kind of difficult to make clean cuts because of the sticky marshmallows, so just make sure that you allow your pizza to cool completely before attempting to cut it into slices. It might also help to run your pizza cutter under really hot water before cutting. This is such a fun treat that you could get really creative with! Try topping it with m&m's, butterscotch, white chocolate, or peanut butter chips! Go crazy, but please give it a try!

Fudge Puddle Pizza

Batch of your favorite cookie dough
Batch of Fudge Puddle Filling (find the recipe here)
Mini marshmallows, m&ms, chocolate chips, crushed oreos, etc.

Prepare your cookie dough and spread it onto a greased pizza pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until lightly brown (be careful to not let your edges burn).
Spread fudge puddle filling on top of the pizza cookie, leaving a small outer crust. Top with marshmallows, m&ms, chocolate chips, etc.
Bake for another 5 minutes or so until the marshmallows are lightly brown.
Cool completely!
Cut into thin pizza slices and serve!


Frozen Chocolate Dessert



This dessert was famous around our house growing up! It was always such a treat because my mom didn't make it very much since we rarely had angel food cake lying around the house. We had some angel food cake left over from the chocolate fountain from my cousin Kami's baby shower the day before so we decided to put it to good use! Man alive folks, this cool, creamy, rich, chocolatey dessert is as close to heaven as you can get. Seriously. This recipe comes from my Grandma Kathleen Peterson, so you KNOW it's gotta be good. The woman is a genius when it comes to all things chocolate. My picture doesn't do it justice, so please just give it a chance and make it one day. I promise it won't disappoint.

Recipe:

Frozen Chocolate Dessert

12 oz. package chocolate chips
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. sugar, divided
4 Tbsp. water
4 egg yokes, lightly beaten
4 egg whites
1 pint whipped cream
1 loaf angel food cake
Chopped nuts for sprinkling (optional)

Combine chocolate chips, 1/2 cup sugar, 4 Tbsp. water, and egg yokes in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until thick (microwaving it works too). Put pan in cold water to cool.

Beat egg whites and 2 Tbsp. sugar til stiff. Add to chocolate mixture. Then fold in whipped cream.

Pour 1/3 of the mix into a 9x13 pan, then break pieces of angel food cake up the size of marshmallows and place them side by side on top of the mixture. Pour the rest of the mix on top of the cake, and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Freeze until firm and allow to thaw slightly before serving. Dig in!


The last sweet treat that we made for the Super Bowl was Muddy Buddies. I didn't take a picture of these, but I'm sure everyone knows what they look like. If you are unsure what Muddy Buddies are you must make them right away!! Seriously. They are so addicting and delicious!

Muddy Buddies

9 cups Chex or Crispix cereal
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Into large bowl with a lid, measure cereal. Set aside.
In microwave bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on high 1 minute. Stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla.
Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.
Add powdered sugar. Seal the lid and shake until well coated.
Spread on waxed paper to cool.
Store in airtight container in the fridge.

Once again, I'm sorry it took so long to post these recipes. Give them a try and let me know what you think! Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

101 Gourmet Cupcakes Calendar: (January) Cookies and Cream Dream

So Amy gave me this really great calendar a couple of months ago which goes along with the cookbook 101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 minutes. Each month of the calendar has a new cupcake to make, so I decided that each month I was going to make the cupcake for the month. I know it is no longer January, but I accidentally left my camera at home last week when I headed back up to Logan, so I didn't have any pictures of these yummy cupcakes to post. So ignore the fact that it is February and that I am posting a January cupcake. :)

January's cupcake is Cookies and Cream Dream, and boy is it a dream. Made with a chocolate cake, an Oreo baked in the middle, and frosted with yummy, but oh-so-sweet buttercream frosting. I actually think that I'll try frosting them with a cream cheese frosting next time just because they were so sweet. I mean, sweet things don't bother me one bit, but I think that a nice cream cheese frosting would compliment these very nicely. Anyways, make them! They are so easy and so yummy!



Cookies and Cream Dream Cupcakes
(101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 Minutes)

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
18-24 whole chocolate sandwich cookies, crumbles
1 recipe vanilla buttercream frosting

Mix together cake mix, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Place a spoonful of batter on the bottom of each paper liner. Place a whole cookie on the bottom lying flat. Cove with remaining batter until 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool completely.

Whip up a batch of buttercream(recipe below) or cream cheese frosting. Add crumbled cookies to frosting. Be generous and frost cupcakes nice and high.

Buttercream Frosting:
8 Tbsp. (1 Stick) butter, room temperature
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3-4 Tbsp. milk or cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Place butter in large mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Stop beating before adding sugar to avoid a large mess.

Add sugar, 3 tablespoons milk or cream, and vanilla extract. Beat frosting starting on slow, increasing your speed until frosting is nice and creamy. Add up to 1 more tablespoon milk or cream if frosting is too thick.

Drum Roll Please....

He's in.



He's an Aggie.



And I'm SO excited. :)