Texas Sheet Cake Bites

1 c salted butter

⅓ c cocoa powder

1 c boiling water

½ c buttermilk

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 c flour

2 c sugar

1 tsp baking soda

⅛ tsp salt

Icing

¾ cup salted butter

⅓ cup cocoa powder

1/3 cup whole milk or half and half

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 ½ cups powdered sugar

Cake:

Preheat your oven to 325°. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the cocoa, and stir until combined well.

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in the microwave or on the stovetop. Pour the boiling water into the butter cocoa mixture and stir for 30 seconds.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and a pinch of salt.

Pour the cocoa mixture into the dry ingredients, and mix until combined.

Lastly, stir the buttermilk mixture into the batter.

Scoop the batter into the prepared mini-muffin pan using a 1 tablespoon scoop. Bake 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Allow the cake bites to cool 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Frosting:

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter. While it is piping hot, stir in the cocoa until combined.

Add milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Mix until blended.

With a scoop or spoon, drop a 1/2 tablespoon of frosting onto the center of each cake bite. Allow the cake bites to set for at least 15 minutes before transferring to a serving tray.

Saltine Cracker Toffee

This is a great gift idea for Christmas. Line tins with plastic wrap & fill with this yummy candy! We have given this as teacher gifts

before. They always love it!

1 tube saltine crackers
1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 c. chopped pecans-optional

Preheat oven to 400⁰. Line cookie sheet with foil (up the edges too). Line with saltine crackers in a single layer. In a saucepan combine butter & sugar. Bring to a boil & boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour over saltine crackers & spread the mixture to cover the crackers completely. Bake for 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven & sprinkle chocolate chips over the top & let sit for a few minutes until melted. Spread chocolate over all the crackers & sprinkle with pecans. Cool completely & break into pieces. Yummy!

Piña Colada Cake

1 yellow cake mix (mix as directed on box)

15.25 oz can crushed pineapple in juice

15 oz can cream of coconut

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 small pkg vanilla pudding

8 oz Cool Whip, thawed

2 cups sweetened coconut flakes, (toasted in oven 350⁰ for 5-7 min)

Prepare cake mix & bake in a 9x13-inch baking dish.

While cake is baking, drain 15.25 oz can crushed pineapple into a bowl (saving the juice).

In a separate bowl, whisk together 15 oz can cream of coconut, 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk, pudding mix & the drained pineapple juice.

Once cake is done, take it out of the oven. While cake is still warm, begin poking holes in the top using the handle of a wooden spoon.

Then pour pudding mixture evenly over cake. It will look pretty saturated. But don't worry the cake is going to soak it all up. Refrigerate until cool.

Once cake is completely cooled, top it with drained crushed pineapple.

Then spread 8 oz whipped topping evenly on top.

Sprinkle toasted coconut flakes on top.

Slice and serve. Keep cake refrigerated.

Notes:

For the cake mix. you can use white, yellow, pineapple or coconut cake mixes. 

Basic Cheesecake

Graham cracker crust:

1 ¾ c graham cracker crumbs

5  T sugar

6 T melted butter

For the cheesecake filling:

40 oz cream cheese, room temp (five 8 oz. pkgs)

1 ¼ c sugar

½ c sour cream, room temp

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temp

Cheesecake toppings: Strawberry, Raspberry, blueberry, praline, ganache, peanut butter sauce

Place oven racks in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°.

In a medium sized bowl, stir graham cracker crumbs together with sugar and melted butter until well incorporated and mixture looks like damp sand. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, press crust into the bottom and half way up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 325⁰.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix cream cheese 30 seconds until smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and add in sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Mix again until incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again briefly.

Crack eggs into a separate bowl and whisk until well beaten. With the mixer on low, slowly pour the eggs into the cream cheese mixture and stop stirring once eggs have been incorporated. Remove bowl from mixer and scrape the sides and bottom again, ensuring the entire mixture is smooth. If there are a few small lumps, try to fold in using the rubber scraper.

Once the batter is completely smooth and ready, tap the bowl on the counter for 30-45 seconds to remove as many air bubbles as possible. You should see them popping on the surface as you tap the bowl. Pour filling into the center of the graham cracker crust and gently smooth the top. It will be very full!

Bake for 30 minutes at 325°. Reduce temperature to 250° and continue cooking for 45 minutes more. Once this time has elapsed, turn oven off and keep cheesecake inside for another 30 minutes without opening the oven door. Crack oven door to let cheesecake cool slowly for one hour before removing. At this point, cheesecake should be slightly warm. Bring cheesecake to room temperature on the counter (3-4 hours) before covering with plastic wrap and transferring to the fridge.

Refrigerate until chilled completely (6 hours to overnight). To serve, open springform pan and remove collar. Decorate as desired. 

Dip a sharp knife into hot water, wipe off any excess water and slice. I like to dip my knife in water between each slice to get really clean-looking pieces.

Milkshake Cookie Bars

1 cup salted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp canola oil

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ cup rainbow sprinkles

Frosting:

1/2 cup white chocolate chips, melted and cooled

1/2 cup salted butter

3 cups powdered sugar

~1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp cake batter flavoring

whipped cream, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, cream together the salted butter and granulated sugar until light in color and fluffy in texture.

Scrape the sides of the bowl and add in the eggs, vanilla, and canola oil. Mix until combined.

Next, add the flour, baking

powder, and rainbow sprinkles. Mix until a soft dough forms.

Press the dough into the prepared baking pan evenly.

Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes or until the dough has puffed up and the center no longer looks wet and glossy. Allow the cookie bars to cool completely before frosting.

First, melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave by heating them at full power for 30 seconds and then stirring. Repeat until the white chocolate is completely melted. Set aside.

With a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, cream the butter.

Alternate adding 1/2 cup of powdered sugar with just enough heavy cream to bring the mixture together. Repeat until all of the powdered sugar has been added. The frosting should stay thick.

Next, mix in the cake batter flavoring. Once incorporated slowly mix in the melted white chocolate.

You can further adjust the thickness of your frosting by adding more heavy cream, if desired.

Spread on the cooled cookie bar and top with sprinkles.

Cut into bars and then top each bar with a dollop of whipped cream.

Store in the fridge and serve chilled. Enjoy!

S'mores Bars

1 cup salted butter, softened

¾ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking powder

2 cups flour

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 king size hershey bars

2 cups marshmallow fluff

Cream together butter, both sugars, eggs & vanilla. Mix in baking powder until fully incorporated. Add in flour 1 cup at a time and mix. Sprinkle in the graham crumbs.

Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Grease your 9×13 pan WELL. I’m talking well (lol). Add half your cookie batter and flatten. Be sure to push some up the sides of your pan. This will enclose your cookies and keep all the good stuff inside! Place your chocolate bars on the crust, followed by the fluff. Spread the fluff as best you can. Roll out some plastic wrap on your counter and place the second half of your dough. Flatten it into a 9×13 rectangle. Carefully place on top of the marshmallow. Bake at 350⁰ for 30 minutes and allow to cool for 3 hours before cutting into squares. Enjoy!

Cracker S'mores

Boil:

1½ cups butter

1½ cups brown sugar 

until it hits a rolling boil, about 4–5 minutes.

Pour over graham crackers lined up on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 400°F for 5–6 minutes.

While still hot, separate the grahams (makes breaking easier later).

Top half of the graham crackers with chocolate squares of your choice.

Let everything cool and set.

Stack ’em, pack ’em, and take ’em to the fire.

Roast some mallows and prepare for the best. s’more. ever.

The Perfect Rice Crispy Treats

⅓ c butter 

2 10 oz. bags mini marshmallows, divided
8 c Rice Crispy cereal

1 tsp vanilla

Spray 9X13 pan with non stick spray. Set aside. In large bowl melt butter in microwave, about 45 seconds. Add 1 bag + ⅓ of the 2nd bag of marshmallows & stir until coated. Microwave  for 1 minute, stirring halfway. Add vanilla. Stir in Rice Crispy cereal until well combined. Fold in remaining marshmallows. Gently press into 13×9 pan. Once cooled, cut and enjoy!