Carmelitas

Every time I make this dessert I have people asking for the recipe, the flavors are amazing and it's always a hit!

If you've never had Carmelitas before then I'll break them down a little bit for you, there's a delicious cookie layer on the bottom, layers of chocolate chips and melted caramel are next, and then it's topped with another layer of the cookie mixture. Do yourself a favor and make them now, you'll be so glad you did :)

As always I got pictures showing the process, and the full recipe (with ingredients and directions listed at the bottom).

Thumbprint Cookies

I absolutely love Thumbprint cookies (who doesn't?!)

However I have to be honest, I didn't love making them because they were sooo time consuming.

That is until now!

I have the perfect thumbprint recipe below that will give you the most delicious, perfectly shaped cookies and I figured out a way to cut down the amount of time it takes to make them!
(Insert happy dance now...)

I've got some pictures below so you can see what the dough is supposed to look like and how it all comes together.

The Best Pancakes

Ok I'm not even joking when I say these pancakes are the best!

These pancakes are soft, fluffy, and delicious.

Try them and you'll see for yourself!

My boys request these pancakes on a regular basis, and since these are so quick and easy to make I don't mind it at all :)

M&M Cookies

I love homemade cookies.

Warm from the oven with a nice cold glass of milk...mmmmm.
Can't get much better than that!

These cookies have been a favorite for a while, and I'm excited to share them here on the blog!

It all started one year, a little after Halloween.

My boys had lots of packs of M&M's and I thought this would be a good way to use them up.

We've had a chocolate chip cookie recipe we've used for years, but this time we had decided to add the M&M's and it was magical.

Amazing Sugar Cookies

Over the years we have tried a few different sugar cookie recipes.

This recipe is by far the best one we've tried and we will be sticking with it for sure!

I'm not a fan of sugar cookies where the actual cookie doesn't have any flavor, you know, the ones that just taste like flour... 

Maybe that's why I love these cookies, not only are they thick and soft, they are so flavorful!

 My boys request to make these cookies all the time, and one of the things they like best is to pick out random shapes from our cookie cutter stash. This last time when we whipped these up was right before Valentine's Day though, so we decided to go with heart shapes.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Every so often I buy some bananas, with every intention of eating them of course, but it doesn't end up happening.

They always sit on my counter and never get touched.

In hopes of never wasting any bananas again, I turned to the internet to find an amazing recipe for banana bread.

I found this recipe from Rachel Ray and decided to give it a try. I did change a few things, and it turned out delicious!

I really like that it only makes 1 loaf of bread since I'm really the only one that eats it, and I end up scarfing it down within a day or two....anyways, on to the recipe!

Homemade Yellow Cupcakes

I must start out by being honest here; I've never really been a big cupcake person...

gasp! 

I know.

The only time I will really make them or even eat them is for a birthday party or event, but other than that I don't really think twice about them.

A few weeks ago however, my two boys were begging to bake cupcakes.

I honestly have no idea where it came from, but we were going to have family night and that's what they wanted for the dessert that evening.

I hardly ever have a box of cake mix on hand, which is what I would normally use to just make them and get it over with, so we turned to Pinterest and found a recipe to try.

We’ve made some tweaks to the original, and they turn out pretty dang delicious every time! 

Since we had a success, and we usually have all of the ingredients on hand, these have been added to our 'we will make again!' category.

'Twix' Dessert Bars

I haven't posted a recipe on here for a while, which is weird because I've been finding some great ones on Pinterest that we've really liked.

I'm sure I'll get around to them, but I HAD HAD HAD to share this one with you all.

These are seriously ah-maz-ing!!!!

I actually first pinned this recipe almost 2 years ago, and just never got around to making it.

I am so glad I finally did though because now that I know how awesome it is, it will be whipped up MANY times in the future. I can't believe how much these actually taste like a Twix bar.

Sooooo good people.

This recipe is perfect to have on hand to use it at all of your upcoming holiday festivities.

It's also one that you can make ahead, and stores really well.

These only lasted a couple of days at our house before they were gone, and they were still just as yummy as the first day we made them.

No-bake Chocolate Cookies

These are one of my husband's favorite cookies.

I had actually never had these cookies until one day my son and I were baking and my husband requested some.

I searched Pinterest and found a recipe.

These are so easy to make!

I have made these no-bake cookies for baby blessings, family get-togethers, and holidays.

I love that I can make them in advance and they stay delicious!

Since these cookies are also gluten-free, it's nice to have them for those who won't be able to eat other desserts.

Grapefruit and Blood Orange Popsicles

With the warm weather approaching I have the perfect healthy treat to help your family cool down!

Popsicles are a staple at our house during the summer months.

It's one of my favorite things. 

Sitting on the porch with my son, talking, and cooling down with some popsicles make for some good memories.

Make it some homemade popsicles and it can't get any better. I love these because I know exactly what's in them :)

A big shout-out goes to my husband who introduced me to this delicious concoction :)

Glazed Muffins

I first made these muffins a couple of weeks ago and they were delicious, but now that we are back in Utah and the air is crisp I'm dying to make them again. They have the perfect flavor for these fall days.

I found this recipe through Pinterest, of course, and I made 1 or 2 minor changes.

Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes

My new recipe for you this week is a dessert.

I love mini desserts, and these strawberry cheesecakes are amazing!

A couple of weeks ago I was in the mood to bake something new.

It was a Monday, and that night we would be having our weekly Family Home Evening, so I had an excuse to make a dessert :)

(If you are unfamiliar with Family Home Evening, you can learn more about it here)

I had found a recipe on Pinterest I wanted to try, but I didn't have a couple of the ingredients, so I decided to just get the basics of a cheesecake and then make my own version.

This is what I came up with. 

I was pretty proud of myself, because these turned out so good!

Pasta Frola

 My husband is from the beautiful country of Argentina, and Pasta Frola is something his mom made him growing up. I knew I needed to learn how to make it to carry on the tradition.

I have to admit, the very first time I tried pasta frola I didn't get what all of the fuss was about, but now, I love just as much as he does...if not more...
Pasta frola is a shortbread type tart filled with Quince (or dulce de membrillo) jam, and then baked.
I have included a lot of pictures for you as a step-by-step guide.
Last month I made this twice, once for my husband's birthday, and then two weeks later before we went on vacation to Utah.
The first time I made this recipe I used a 9 inch pie dish, the crust was really thick, and I had a lot of left over dough, so I could have actually made two.
The second time I made the recipe, I used a 9x13 baking dish, and I feel like the thickness was perfect.

Indoor S'mores

Hello everyone!

Today I thought I would share with you one of my guilty pleasures.

S'mores.

I love them!

The only problem with S'mores is it's not every day I can make a fire and roast marshmallows... 

So, we started making them in our microwave...I needed a chocolate fix people!

I also didn't always have the larger marshmallows, or the Hershey chocolate bars, so I just started using what I already had in my baking cupboards...wow, that makes me sound like I was getting crazy desperate, but I needed something sweet. :)

Mini Coconut Cream Pies

Good morning all!
It's no secret that I love mini desserts.

Maybe I feel less guilty if I'm eating smaller portions...but I don't think it counts if I pop multiple ones in my mouth in one sitting...hmmm, oh well~
On to the recipe!
I feel like pies just come with territory when you're talking about Thanksgiving and Christmas, so lucky for you this post comes right before Thanksgiving, yay!

Guests at your holiday get-together will definitely appreciate the individual serving size :)

I first made these last year for Thanksgiving, and they were DELICIOUS!

Since then, I've actually made these a couple of times, and I've tweaked the recipe to save a little time here and there. Even with that help, they are a little involved, but SOOOO worth it, I promise!

You can do this a day in advance and refrigerate the dough and cream filling if that helps!

Here we go!

Pie Crust

1/3 c. cold water with an ice cube or two to keep it cold

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2/3 c. shortening

Pour flour, salt, and brown sugar into a bowl. Using a pastry blender or fork cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until it starts to resemble pea-sized clumps.

Pour in a small amount of water and press the dough together, keep adding small dashes of water until you can form the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour. 

(If you want to you can also leave it overnight)

When you are ready, break the dough ball in half and roll it out on a sheet of wax paper sprinkled lightly with flour. Cut out circles and place in a greased muffin tin. Gently push it down so it makes a little cup.

Poke a few tiny holes in the bottom so it doesn't puff up.

Magic Cookie Bars (Gluten Free)

First of all, this will probably be my only post this week.  WE ARE MOVING ON FRIDAY!!  I figured we'll probably be busy with packing, saying good-byes, and lots of crying, so hang in there, I will come back as soon as I can!

First, a little history about my family and I.  

My mom is a Celiac.  

This means she has a severe allergy towards the gluten in wheat flour, rye, and barley.  She has had this allergy since she was in her early 20's.  In the last few years there have been a lot more cases of this allergy, which also means more knowledge about it has come out.  

I have been making this dessert for my family since I was about 8 or 9 years old.  We all love this dessert, but it's my mom's favorite by far.  I've made it for EVERY family get-together.  Sunday dinners, holidays, birthdays, you name it, it's there.

Last Sunday was our last Sunday dinner with my family, so I had to make it for them one more time.

When we left that night there were lots of tears.  I will miss both of our families very much, but I know this move will be good for us, and it will be a fun new adventure.  

Ok, on to the recipe!

This recipe makes 24 bars.

Ingredients:

6 c. cereal (I normally use Frosted Flakes because they're already sweetened, but I've also used Corn Chex, Corn Flakes, whatever I've got on hand, and just added a little sugar)

* When you are choosing any cereal for the crust, if you do have a gluten allergy, please check the ingredients label first, just to make sure it doesn't have gluten in it!

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c. unsalted butter

Chocolate chips

sweetened shredded coconut 

Fudgy Brownie Dessert

First of all, the most important thing to tell you, is this brownie batter is made by throwing everything in one pot, that's right ONE.  I love anything that cuts down on dirty dishes!!  

So, my husband requested this delicious dessert Friday night, luckily I was able to use his phone to take pictures...yes, my camera is still getting fixed :(.  At least his phone can take really good photos, so I just had to share it with this dessert with the rest of the world!  IT IS SOOO GOOD!  I've made these brownies for A LONG time, like years, that's how are delicious they are on their own, but one night after I'd made them my husband looked through our fridge to try and take them up a notch.  

This is the glorious masterpiece he came up with.  Now we just make the brownies just to have this...

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. unsalted butter
• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate (pictured below so you'd know what it looks like)
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2/3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda

Toppings:

• vanilla ice cream
• dulce de leche, or caramel
• shredded coconut
• whipped cream
• we've also added chopped nuts before, there's no right or wrong, let your imagination run wild! :)

In a medium saucepan melt butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.  Once it's melted remove from heat.  Stir in the sugar, and then add the eggs, one at a time, and mixing in completely with a wooden spoon after each egg.  Stir in the vanilla.  Then add the flour and baking soda, and mix it all together.

Pour the batter into a greased 9x13 cake pan and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  Let cool for a few minutes, then assemble the masterpiece.  We spread a layer of dulce de leche, or caramel, on the brownie, then top with the vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, shredded coconut, and on this one I drizzled a little more caramel on top.  Sorry there aren't more pictures of the process, but with just having to throw it all in one pot, I felt there wasn't much I could document...again with the one dish...I know, I know...

Hope you enjoy!

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

Zucchini Raisin Bread

This is the first year we don't have our own garden :(.  It's kind of sad.  I miss going out there everyday looking for new fruits or veggies that are ripe and ready to eat.  One of the things we planted every year was zucchini.  I learned very quickly that I needed to have a good zucchini bread recipe, because we would get A LOT of zucchini.  I found this recipe a long time ago, and over the years I have experimented with it, and changed it.  Thank you to my father-in-law for giving us some zucchini from his garden so I could make some yummy bread!

Warning:  I lost the charger for our camera, so all these pictures were taken with my phone, sorry about the quailty...

Zucchini Raisin Bread

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 1/2 c. applesauce (I like to buy the no sugar added applesauce in the individual serving cups, and one serving cup is a 1/2 c.  Also, if you don't have any applesauce on hand, you can use 1 c. vegetable oil instead. The applesauce just keeps it a little more healthy).
• 3 eggs
• 1 3/4 c. sugar
• 3 tsp. vanilla
• 3 c. all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 2 c. grated zucchini
• 1 c. raisins

Mini Fruit Tarts

These are by far my favorite dessert!  I was so happy when I found a recipe for them, they are SO easy!  Don't they look heavenly? :)

Mini Fruit Tarts

Ingredients

• Tart Crust:
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup superfine sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), chilled
• 1 egg yolk, broken with a fork