Blackberry Cobbler

Hello everyone!  Today's recipe was really yummy.  My family and I finished this within two days!  My grandpa picked the berries this summer, and gave my family some.  We froze them, and I used them for the cobbler.  I used them when they were still frozen, and had quite a bit of excess juice.  It may need a little extra cooking time to evaporate the juice.

Blackberry Cobbler

4 cups blackberries

1 cup granulated sugar

Topping:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 stick cold butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*.

Mix together blackberries and granulated sugar.  Pour into 9x13 pan.

In a medium sized bowl, combine flour and brown sugar.  Cut in butter until crumbly.  Add oats and pecans; mix well.  Sprinkle evenly over blackberry mixture.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until topping is golden brown.  Enjoy!

Yum!  My moth started watering while I was typing this out!  I hope you all like this as much as my family and I did!

Hot Cocoa Mix

Hello everyone!  Are you all keeping warm?  If not, let me help!  Today's recipe is a delicious homemade hot cocoa mix.  We keep this in a jar by our "Hot Cocoa Bar" that my mom puts up in the wintertime.  That way, everything is ready for warming up when we come in from the cold!

Hot Cocoa Mix

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups powdered milk

3/4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup granulated vanilla sugar*

1/2 tsp. popcorn salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients until it all looks the same.  When ready to make hot cocoa, add 2-3 rounded tablespoons of mix to a mug of hot water.  Enjoy!

This was a really great hot cocoa mix.  I like because it has a darker chocolate flavor.  It is perfect!!!

If you want to make your own Hot Chocolate Bar, you could offer some jars of the fun mix ins that we have:

·       French vanilla, peppermint, or regular marshmallows

·       Peanut butter, Andes mint, and regular chocolate chips

·       Cinnamon imperials (Red Hots)

·       Individual French Vanilla or Hazelnut coffee creamers

·       Candy Canes

·       Whipped cream (ready in the fridge of course!)

·       Chocolate sprinkles

·       Believe me, this Hot Chocolate Bar is as fun as it sounds!

*You can make vanilla sugar very easily by following this recipe.  The vanilla makes ALL the difference!

Vanilla Sugar

Easy Caramel Sauce

Hello everyone! I don't know about where you live, but it has been extremely cold where me and Koko live! I have never seen temps this low before in my area! Today's recipe is a very easy, yet super yummy caramel sauce. If you have seen alot of my other posts where I've talked about making caramel sauce, I always went through a complicated process to get it. I have figured out a very easy way to make it now, without all the bubbling and overflowing! This is the perfect addition to hot cocoa too. That is how I've been using it lately. In fact, Koko and I just recently enjoyed a cup of caramel hot cocoa together, and it tasted so yummy that I had to post the recipe. Enjoy! :) 

                             Easy Caramel Sauce

                     1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

                     1 cup brown sugar

                     2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

In a small saucepan, melt the butter, then add the brown sugar and mix until smooth. Add in the heavy whipping cream and continue to whisk until it is well combined and there are no more white streaks. 

You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It will also seem thin when it is still hot, but it thickens when you cool it. Oh, so yummy! 

Double Doozies

All right everyone!  Today, I am just melding to recipes that are already on here!  Last week, I posted butter cream frosting.  Closer to the beginning of this blog, I posted chocolate chip cookies.  Today's recipe is....Double Doozies!  These were made for my youth pastor's son's birthday party.  He was turning ten, and requested double doozies.  All the kids that went to his party kept saying how yummy these were!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Now for the frosting!

Buttercream Frosting

These were so delicious!  Oh, make sure to share with a friend!  Eating a whole one is difficult.  They are very rich! 

Buttercream Frosting

Hello Everyone!  Unfortunately, I do not have a picture for this recipe.  I could not figure out how to take an attractive picture of frosting.  While  we are on the subject,  do any of you have any ideas on how to take a pretty picture of frosting?  I am clueless.  Oh, before I forget,  this is an extremely large recipe. 

Buttercream Frosting

3 sticks butter

5 teaspoons vanilla

7 cups powdered sugar

Directions

Beat all  ingredients until fluffy and enjoy!

I love frosting recipes.  They are super easy.  This one I think is my new favorite!  

Triple-Layer Banana Caramel Cake

Happy New Year everyone! Sorry this post is late! I was out all day yesterday and forgot! 

For this post, I have a delicious cake recipe to share with you! It is a great way to use up overripe bananas in your house. Thanks to Faith Durand, you can make good use out of those bananas that you would otherwise throw away! Mine doesn't look as pretty as hers did, but it still tasted yummy. The original recipe also says to bake it for 40 minutes, but I found that mine were not cooked all the way through then. It ended up being an hour for mine, so that's what I'll put on this one. 

 I hope you try this recipe, and let us know what you think! Happy Eating! :) 

                        Triple-Layer Banana Caramel Cake

 Caramel Sauce:
                        2 cups cream (half-and-half) 
                        1 1/2 cups white sugar
                        1/2 cup water
                        1/4 cup butter
                        pinch of salt

                Cake:
                        3/4 cup butter, soft
                        3/4 cup white sugar
                        3/4 cup brown sugar
                        3 eggs
                        3 cups all-purpose flour
                        1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
                        1/2 tsp. salt
                        1 1/2 cups milk
                        2 tsp. vanilla
                        5 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
                        1 1/2 cups caramel sauce

Caramel Icing:
                        1/2 cup unsalted butter
                        1/2 cup caramel sauce
                        1 tsp. vanilla
                        1/4 tsp. salt
                        1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
                        
                        extra sliced bananas for on top (optional) 
For the Caramel Sauce:
This is probably the most difficult part of the whole recipe. Once you get through this, the rest will seem easy! :)
Warm up the cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Keep it warm, making sure it doesn't boil. 
Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Let it boil until it becomes slightly darker, then begin swirling it around, making sure it doesn't burn. When it reaches a dark color, turn off the heat. Be really careful! Don't let it burn.  
Slowly pour in the cream, constantly stirring the mixture. Be really careful! It will bubble up ferociously. Mine ended up overflowing out of the pot. 
Once the cream is mixed in well, and all is once again calm, stir in the butter and the salt. Return it to medium heat, continuing to stir until everything is mixed in well, and it is smooth. 
Turn off the heat and allow the caramel to cool. It will be used a few times later in the recipe. 

For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 325*, and grease and flour three 9-in. cake pans.
Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugars until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix well. 
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt, then set them aside.
In another bowl, mix together the milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas, then pour into the creamed mixture alternately with the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed until smooth. 
Divide the batter evenly between the three pans. Pour about 1/2 cup of caramel sauce in each one, and swirl with a knife. 
Place them in the oven and bake for about 1 hour. (I used a spring-form pan for the third layer, and it became rather mangled, as you can probably see by looking at the middle layer in the picture.) 
Once the cakes are done baking, take them out of the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then take them out of the pans and transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the icing. 
In a mixer, whip the butter, vanilla, caramel sauce, and salt until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix it until it is well combined and spreading consistency. 
Now it is time to assemble the cake! Spread a small bit of the icing onto your cake stand or cake board as kind of a glue so the cake doesn't slide. Place your first layer on the board, and spread a thick layer of icing on top. Stack all of the cake layers in this way, then spread the rest of the icing on top. You can put the banana slices on top now, if you want. Drizzle the rest of the caramel sauce on top, and enjoy! 
This is a complicated recipe, but it is a lot of fun to make and totally worth it! :)

~Nutmeg

Chocolate Cream Pie

Hi Everyone!  Today's recipes is something my dad usually makes for special occasions.  He was very nice and let me make it to share with you all!  I remember when I was little, one of the reasons I was excited for a holidays was because I would get this pie.  I hope you all enjoy it!

 

Chocolate Cream Pie

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup all purpose flour

3 T. cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)

1 1/2 cups water

5 egg yolks, beaten

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 nine inch pie crust, baked

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine the first six ingredients. Cook and stir over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Whisk 1 cup hot mixture into egg yolks. Return all to the pan; bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Cool slightly. Pour warm filling into pastry shell. Cool for 1 hour. Chill until set.  Enjoy!

Yum!  This always make my mouth water!  I hope you will try it soon!