Honey. Roasted. Peanut. Butter.

Nothing better than homemade peanut butter. Fresh & Peanutty :) Even better, it takes all of 5 minutes to make. Easy.

What You'll Need

1 16 oz jar/bag of honey roasted peanuts

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla (or more or less to taste)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or more or less to taste)

food processor

Put the peanuts in the food processor and blend.  This is the fun part. The peanuts turn to a powdery mix at first, and then as they blend the oil will come out and turn into a big ball.  Keep on blending, the oil will continue to work and the peanuts will turn to a nice smooth butter.  The longer you blend, the smoother the peanut butter.  I like mine nice and creamy so I blend it for awhile

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This recipe creates a creamy, delicious, just sweet enough peanut butter that won't separate after sitting.  I keep it in the fridge, but it could be kept at room temperature, personal preference :)

Enjoy!

Chocolate. Coconut. Cupcakes

Here's another semi-homemade recipe created for my sister's open house.  These cupcakes are simple, unique, and completely tasty.  They are definitely a hit and aren't overpowering with coconut flavor.  I chose to decorate them with some toasted coconut on top but eliminating the toasted coconut would tone down the coconut flavor even more.

Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes

1 box chocolate cake mix (& coordinating ingredients)

coconut extract

bag of shredded coconut

1 can vanilla frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with liners. Prepare the chocolate cake mix as directed for cupcakes on the back of the box.  Add 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract to cake batter.  Mix well.  Fill cupcake liners three fourths of the way full.  **Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees, immediately put cupcakes in oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into cupcakes comes out clean.

While the cupcakes bake, prepare the frosting.  Empty can of frosting into stand mixer.  Mix frosting for 5 minutes, until fluffy.  This will expand the frosting and make it creamier.  Add 1 teaspoon coconut extract (may add more or less to taste : personal preference).  Continue to mix frosting with mixer.  Sometimes I add a little bit of milk to my frosting, to change the consistency.  This may be done but is not needed.

While cupcakes continue to cool, prepare the toasted coconut.  Spread a single layer of shredded coconut on a toaster oven pan.  Toast the coconut for about 5 minutes.  Be sure to keep an eye on the coconut as different ovens will vary toasting times and coconut will burn very easily.

When cupcakes have completely cooled, spread frosting on each cupcake and sprinkle toasted coconut on top.

Enjoy!

**Reducing the oven temperature right before baking eliminates those deflated flat tops on the cupcakes.  Instead cupcakes will come out with a nice round dome on top, perfect for frosting!

Lemon. Vanilla. Cupcakes.

For my sister's open house, she wanted cupcakes instead of cake.  homemade. cupcakes.  With a guest list of 200 plus homemade seemed impossible. So I improvised and came up with some semi-homemade recipes for a deeeelicious dessert.  The cupcakes turned out incredible! We did a few test runs to come up with the perfect recipe. Today I'm going to share my favorite. Lemon Vanilla.  So simple, and yet so very tasty.

Lemon Vanilla Cupcakes

1 box yellow cake mix (& coordinating ingredients)

1 lemon

1 tsp vanilla

1 can vanilla frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with liners. Prepare the yellow cake mix as directed for cupcakes on the back of the box.  Zest half of the lemon and add directly into cake mix.  Mix well.  Fill cupcake liners three fourths of the way full.  Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees, immediately put cupcakes in oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into cupcakes comes out clean.

While the cupcakes bake, prepare the frosting.  Empty can of frosting into stand mixer.  Mix frosting for 5 minutes, until fluffy.  This will expand the frosting and make it creamier.  Zest the other half of the lemon and add zest to frosting.  Add vanilla to frosting (may add more to taste).  Continue to mix frosting with mixer.  Sometimes I add a little bit of milk to my frosting, to change the consistency.  This may be done but is not needed.

When cupcakes have completely cooled, spread frosting on each cupcake, and add desired toppings (sprinkles, lemon zest, lemon peel, sugar, etc.)  

These cupcakes are fresh and crisp.  The perfect summer cupcake to serve. 

Enjoy!

Cheesy. Beer. Dip.

mmmm. doesn't that sound good? Serve with pretzels, eat with friends.
I made this a few times. Once for a wine party. Once for the fam to bring to our sunday dinner. It is the perfect amount of cheesy, has a sharp strong flavor, and goes great with beer! (although what doesn't?)


INGREDIENTS

1 package dry ranch dressing mix

2 8oz packages cream cheese

1/3 cup beer (any kind will do, I use a Pale Ale)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 ½ teaspoons worshteshire sauce

3-5 Tbsp milk

In a medium microwaveable bowl, combine cream cheese (may need to be softened), dry ranch dressing mix, and garlic powder. Mix it up!

Next add beer and worshteshire and mix until well combined.

Add cheddar cheese.

Microwave in 1-minute intervals, stirring after each interval, until cheddar is all melted.

Finally add milk by tablespoons until dip has reached desired consistency.

Heat dip until warm and serve with pretzels.

enjoy!

Boston. Cream. Pie.

I stumbled across this recipe on none other than my little web recipe box, Pinterest.  I am OBSESSED with pinning new food & drinks on this site. And, even more obsessed with making them my own.  This recipe was used to make a father's day cake for dad. Just a few weeks earlier he had proclaimed his love for Boston Cream Pie and asked why no one in our family had ever made it for him. Hmmm, well dad, maybe because we've never had it ourselves, and had no idea of your love for the dessert (his typical birthday cake request is mom's homemade carrot cake).  Anyway... I found a simple recipe, changed it up a bit and created a new fave among the fam. Boston. Cream. Pie.

INGREDIENTS:
1 box betty crocker (my favorite) yellow cake mix (as well as ingredients on back of box)
1 cup cold milk
1 3.4 oz. package instant vanilla pudding
1 1/2 cups Cool Whip
1 1/2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
1 1/2 TB butter
1 cup powdered sugar
3 TB milk

First Prepare the Cake,
Mix up that yellow cake mix & bake in two 9in round pans, per the box directions. (NOTE: spray those pans WELL, as these cakes tend to stick)

Once the cake is baked and cooling, prepare the filling...
Beat cold milk with instant vanilla pudding mix for a few minutes until it reaches that pudding consistency. Fold in Cool Whip until mixed evenly. taste the scrumptious mixture ;)

Once the cakes are cooled, stack them on a cake stand, spreading the pudding/cool whip mixture in between the layers. (yes, all of that pudding is needed between the cakes!)

Now prepare the decadent glaze...
Microwave the chocolate and butter in a micro safe bowl on high for one-minute and the stir until all chocolate is melted (may need a little longer in micro).
Add powdered sugar and milk to chocolate mixture and stir well until smooth and delicious looking.

Pour the chocolate glaze over the cake immediately, letting some of the chocolate spill over the sides of the cake, love those drips!  The chocolate will start to harden, pour slowly and spread with a spatula if needed.

Now refrigerate for at least an hour before serving!

Voila! Thee BEST Boston Cream Pie!

I literally ate this cake leftover every. single. day. for my afternoon treat until it was gone, and i'm still now thinking about how I want a slice of it. Hmm, I think I'll make another!