New Year's Eve Food: Chocolate-Pistachio Cannoli

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chopped semisweet chocolate (about 1 1/2 ounces)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pistachios
• 12 mini cannoli shells
• 1 cup fresh ricotta
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon grated tangerine or orange zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh tangerine or orange juice
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions

Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted. Put the pistachios in another bowl. Dip both ends of each cannoli shell in the chocolate, then into the pistachios. Arrange on a baking sheet and refrigerate.

Beat the ricotta, confectioners' sugar, tangerine zest and juice, and the cinnamon in a bowl with a mixer until fluffy, about 10 minutes. Add the heavy cream and continue to beat until creamy, 1 to 2 more minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Transfer the filling to a pastry bag and pipe into the prepared shells from both ends. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

New Year's Eve Food: 4-Pepper Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

• 6 hard boiled eggs, cooled and peeled
• 1 teaspoon whole pink peppercorns, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon whole green peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon caper liquid
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch sugar

Directions

Slice the eggs in half from top to bottom. Scoop the yolks into a medium mixing bowl and lay the whites aside. Place all of the peppercorns, except 1/2 teaspoon of the pink peppercorns, into a spice grinder and process until ground well. Add the ground peppers, caper liquid, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and sugar to the egg yolks and using a fork, stir to thoroughly combine. Place the mixture into a zip-top plastic bag and cut a small hole at one of the corners. Pipe the mixture into each of the white halves. Coarsely grind the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of pink peppercorns and use to garnish the top of each egg.

Chill for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.

New Year's Eve Food: Crostini Alla Romana

Ingredients

• 12 1/2-inch thick slices ciabatta bread
• 12 slices thinly sliced prosciutto (about 6 ounces)
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into thin slices
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 6 sage leaves
• Pinch salt
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the slices of ciabatta on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until crisp and golden around the edges, about 8 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven. Place the prosciutto slices and mozzarella on the crostini toast and return to the oven to melt the cheese, about 8 more minutes.

Meanwhile combine the butter and the sage leaves in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the butter is melted and starting to brown in spots and the sage leaves are crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Transfer the crostini to a serving plate. Drizzle the crostini with the sage butter and serve immediately.

New Year's Eve Food: Samoa Tartlets

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup shredded coconut, toasted, plus more for garnish
• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup dulce de leche, warmed (available in the dessert-topping section)
• 1 quart coconut ice cream

Directions

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan with butter.

Pulse the flour, 1/4 cup coconut, brown sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand with pea-sized pieces, about 5 times. Put 1 heaping tablespoon of the mixture in each muffin cup and press to make even rounds. Bake until the crusts are golden, about 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate evenly over each crust. Turn off the oven; return the pan to the oven to melt the chocolate, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle each crust with 1 tablespoon of the remaining coconut. Cool slightly, then freeze crusts in the pan until set, about 15 minutes.

With a thin spatula, gently remove each crust from the muffin pan. Top with a small scoop of coconut ice cream, drizzle with dulce de leche and garnish with more coconut.

New Year's Eve Food: Brie En Croute

Ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, pre-packaged
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (8-ounce) wheel Brie
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• Crackers, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Defrost puff pastry for approximately 15 to 20 minutes and unfold.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the walnuts in the butter until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon and stir until walnuts are coated well. Place the walnut mixture on top of the Brie and sprinkle the brown sugar over the mixture. Lay the puff pastry out on a flat surface. Place the brie in the center of the pastry. Gather up the edges of the brie, pressing around the brie and gather at the top. Gently squeeze together the excess dough and tie together with a piece of kitchen twine. Brush the beaten egg over top and side of Brie. Place Brie on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes until pastry is golden brown.

Serve with crackers.

To give a special look, cut extra pastry into heart or flower shapes and bake until golden.

Sugar Cookie Drops

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup white sugar for decoration

Directions

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, oil, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, and stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar; stir into the creamed mixture. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and then roll the balls in remaining white sugar. Place onto ungreased cookie sheets, and flatten with a fork.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges begin to brown. Cool on wire racks.

Pecan Bars

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions

1. Combine flour, 1 cup brown sugar and softened butter in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pat mixture evenly onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly over crumb mixture.
2. Combine 2/3 cup butter and remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar in small saucepan. cook and stir over medium heat until entire surface is bubbly. cook and stir 1/2 to 1 minute more. Pour into pan, spreading evenly over crust.
3. Bake in 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven 18 to 20 minutes or until entire surface is bubbly. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes to allow chocolate to melt; use knife to swirl chocolate slightly. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Use sharp knife to cut into 48 bars.

Reindeer Cookie Wreath

I found this cute idea today and had to share.Pick up a box of Pillsbury Ready Bake Cookies and wreath away!

Snowball Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes

• 1 box (18.25 oz) Devil's food cake mix with pudding
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, cut into 24 cubes

Frosting

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 egg whites
• 1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2cups coconut

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 24 regular-size muffin cups with paper baking cups. In large bowl beat cake mix, water, oil, sour cream and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat on medium speed 1 minute.
2. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Place 1 cube cream cheese in center of each cupcake; press down into batter almost to center (top of cream cheese will still show).
3. Bake 18 to 24 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center of cupcake comes out clean (test between cream cheese and edge). Remove cupcakes from pan to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. In 2-quart stainless steel or other non-coated saucepan, mix sugar, water and egg whites. Cook over low heat, beating continuously with electric hand mixer at high speed until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. Add marshmallow creme; beat until stiff peaks form. Remove saucepan from heat. Beat in vanilla.
5. Spread frosting evenly over cupcakes; sprinkle each with generous tablespoon coconut. Store cupcakes in refrigerator.

• Save time by frosting these retro cupcakes with whipped topping instead of the marshmallow frosting.

• Add sparkle to each snowball by sprinkling with edible glitter or decorating sugar.

Cheesecake Christmas Trees

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 28 paper lollipop sticks or flat wooden sticks with round ends
• 3 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (from 24-oz bag)
• 3 tablespoons shortening
• 2 oz vanilla-flavored candy coating (almond bark), chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 to 2 drops green paste food color, if desired

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 300°F. Line 8-inch pan with heavy-duty foil so foil extends over sides of pan. In small bowl, mix wafer crumbs and butter. Press in bottom of foil-lined pan.
2. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in sour cream, vanilla and eggs. Pour over crust.
3. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until edges are set (center will be soft but will set when cool). Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Cover; freeze 2 hours. Meanwhile, cover 1 large cookie sheet with waxed paper.
4. Remove cheesecake from pan by lifting foil. Cut lengthwise into four long pieces. Cut each piece into 7 triangles, working with 1 long piece at a time (keep corner pieces for snacking). Insert sticks into bottoms of triangles. Place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Freeze 30 minutes. If making ahead, cover and freeze until ready to coat with chocolate.
5. Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth. Place in medium bowl.
6. Working in 2 batches of 14 (keep remaining in freezer until ready to coat), dip each tree quickly into melted chocolate to coat, letting excess drip off. Use knife or spatula to spread chocolate around stick entrance. Place crust side down on waxed paper.
7. In small microwavable bowl, microwave candy coating and oil uncovered on High 1 minute, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted. Stir in food color. Spoon into 1-quart resealable food-storage plastic bag. Seal bag; cut tiny hole in corner of bag. Pipe melted coating over trees to look like garland. Store covered in freezer.

Triple Layer Cookie Bars

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup margarine, melted
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
• 1 1/3 cups sweetened condensed milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a 9 x 13 inch pan pour in melted margarine. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly over the margarine. Next place the chopped nuts over the crumbs, and spread the chocolate and butterscotch chips over the nuts. Add the coconut over all, and pour the milk evenly over the top.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly brown on top. Cool at least 20 minutes then cut into desired sized bars.

Beef & Swiss

Ingredients

• 2 multi grain wraps
• 2 tablespoons Neufchatel cheese
• 2 leaves romaine lettuce
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 6 slices deli sliced roast beef
• 2 slices reduced-fat Swiss cheese
• 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat the wraps in the microwave on High for 30 seconds.
2. On the right side of one wrap (the side that will fold in last), spread 1 tablespoon Neufchatel cheese about 2/3 of the way down that side. Layer half of the romaine, spinach, beef, Swiss cheese, and tomatoes in the center of the wrap, leaving 1/3 of the wrap open at the bottom. Fold that third up over the bottom of your fillings, then fold in the left side and roll toward the right, letting the Neufchatel seal the wrap together. Repeat with the second wrap.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

Ingredients

• 1 (16.5 ounce) package NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Dough
• 1 cup NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Morsels

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or paper-line 24 mini-muffin cups.
2. Place squares of dough into prepared muffin cups; press down lightly in center to make a well.
3. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are set. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
4. Microwave morsels in small, heavy-duty plastic bag on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 30 seconds; knead until smooth. Microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, kneading until smooth. Cut tiny corner from bag; squeeze chocolate into each cup.

Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat butter with 1/2 cup sugar and almond extract until light and fluffy. With wooden spoon, stir in flour until smooth and well combined. Divide dough into 2 parts. Refrigerate, covered for 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
3. On lightly sugared surface, roll out dough, one part at a time, about 1/2 inch thick. Using a 1 1/2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Place 1 inch apart, on ungreased cookie sheet. With end of wooden spoon, or cookie press, make an indentation in center of each cookie.
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until light golden brown around the edges. While still warm, roll in sugar. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 (1 pound 1.5 ounce) pouch Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon mint extract
• 6 drops green food color
• 1 egg
• 1 cup creme de menthe baking chips
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

Directions

1. Mix cookie mix, butter, extract, food color and egg in bowl, until soft dough forms. Stir in creme de menthe baking chips and chocolate chunks.
2. Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Serve warm or cool completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Makes about 36 cookies

Budgeting Tips for the Holidays

Black Friday shopping is right around the corner. Here are a few helpful tips when taking the plunge:

1. Determine your budget

• Set a dollar amount. Do you have any money set aside for gifts? If not, how much can you save between now and Christmas?

2. Create your gift list

• Include family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, church, etc.

3. Prioritize your list and assign a dollar amount to each person

• Based on your budget, assign a dollar amount to each person. If you don't have enough money to cover everyone on your list, consider making homemade gifts or cards. There are many website that have great ideas.

4. Only buy on-sale items and use coupons or promotional codes

• You don't have to wait until Black Friday and Cyber Monday to find a good deal. Retailers began putting their merchandise on sale in September. Take the time to compare prices.

• If you are shopping on-line ensure you use promotion codes and coupons. These can all be found on line.

5. Stick to your budget!

• Try the envelope method. Write the name of each person on your list onto an envelope. Put the budgeted amount of cash in their envelope. Only spend what you have in the envelope. This will help you avoid spending more than you budgeted.
  

Cranberry Mousse Mini Tarts

Ingredients:

Filling
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whole cranberries, chopped
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

Crust
1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
Coarse sugar, if desired

Topping
1/4 cup whipping cream
3 teaspoons powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Sprinkle gelatin on water to soften, set aside about 15 minutes. In 1 1/2-quart saucepan, heat 1/2 cup granulated sugar and the cranberries just to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in gelatin mixture and orange peel. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes or until mixture just starts to thicken.
2. Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 24 miniature muffin cups with cooking spray.
3. Unroll pie crusts on work surface. With 2 1/2-inch scalloped round cutter, cut 15 rounds from 1 crust and 9 from the other. Fit rounds into muffin cups, pressing in gently. Generously prick crusts with fork. From remaining crust, cut 24 1-inch star shapes; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake crusts 6 to 9 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool crusts completely on cooling rack, about 15 minutes; remove from muffin cups. Meanwhile, bake star shapes 3 to 4 minutes or until light golden brown.
4. In small bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add 2 teaspoons of the powdered sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in cranberry mixture; refrigerate about 10 minutes or until thickened. Spoon about 1 tablespoon mixture into each crust; top each with 1 star. Store in refrigerator. Just before serving, sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon powdered sugar.
   

These mini-tarts are the perfect dessert for a holiday party. Both the tarts and the stars can be made a day ahead of time. Store the tarts in the refrigerator and the stars at room temperature. Just before serving, top each tart with a star and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

How to Roast a Turkey

How long to cook a turkey: Bake a turkey breast-side up on a rack in a large roasting pan in a 325° oven, allowing about 15 minutes per pound of unstuffed turkey.

How to baste a turkey: Basting isn’t necessary, but if you cover your bird with foil, you should uncover it for the last hour of roasting and baste it with drippings every 15 minutes to give it a beautiful golden appearance.

How to know when a turkey is done: When an instant-read meat thermometer inserted deep into the fleshy part of the thigh reads 180°, the turkey is done. Allow the turkey to “rest” out of the oven for 20 minutes before carving.

Make-ahead stuffing: Prepare a basic recipe like Bread Stuffing, add it to a casserole sprayed with cooking spray, cover and refrigerate. Before dinner, bake stuffing 35 to 40 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Cranberry Sauce

I'm happy eating cranberry sauce out of a can, but for those of you who really like a treat, try this deliciously simple recipe!
Ingredients:

• 12 ounces cranberries
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup orange juice

Directions:

• In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the cranberries and cook until the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

How to Buy A Turkey

It sounds like a lot, but plan on 1 pound of turkey per person.

Frozen vs. fresh: Thaw a frozen turkey in your refrigerator 24 hours for every four pounds of meat. (That’s three days in your fridge for a 12-pound bird –- more time than you might guess.) Never thaw a turkey at room temperature.

If you don’t have the refrigerator space to house a thawing turkey, look for or special order a fresh turkey to pick up just before the big day.

Honey Mustard Carrots

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bag (1 lb) ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS

• In 2-quart saucepan, heat 1/2 cup water to boiling. Add carrots. Cover; simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Drain.
• In medium bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Add carrots; toss lightly to coat.
  

Goblins

INGREDIENTS

6 cups Kix® cereal
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 cups miniature marshmallows
12 drops green food color
24 orange circus peanut candies (from two 4-oz bags)
24 candy-coated chocolate candies
Red string licorice, cut into 24 (1-inch) pieces


DIRECTIONS

1. Line 2 cookie sheets with waxed paper. In large bowl, place cereal.
2. In 4-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows; stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in food color. Pour marshmallow mixture over cereal in bowl, stirring until well coated.
3. For feet, place 2 peanut candies on cookie sheet. Spray inside of 1/2-cup measuring cup with cooking spray. For body, fill sprayed 1/2-cup measuring cup with warm cereal mixture; place over feet, releasing cereal mixture and covering back half of feet. Repeat with remaining peanut candies and cereal mixture to make 12 globlins. Immediately attach chocolate candies for eyes. Insert licorice for antenna.

Monsters

INGREDIENTS

8 thick pretzel rods
8 large marshmallows
Candy corn, miniature candy-coated chocolate baking bits, string licorice, Bugles® corn snacks, gummy peach rings, fruit snacks, candy sprinkles, as desired
1 container (1 lb) vanilla creamy ready-to-spread frosting
Assorted food colors


DIRECTIONS

1. Gently push 1 pretzel into 1 flat side of each marshmallow; set aside. Plan and assemble decorations for each marshmallow.
2. In 1-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave 1/2 cup frosting uncovered on High 10 to 20 seconds or until smooth and melted when stirred. Add 1 to 2 drops food color as desired--green for witches or Frankenstein, red for devils, yellow for pumpkins or cats.
3. Dip and decorate 1 marshmallow at a time. Hold pretzel, and dip marshmallow into frosting to coat all sides. Immediately add decorations to create features--candy corn for noses, baking bits for eyes, string licorice for whiskers. To make witch’s hat, push corn snack through center of peach ring. For devil’s or witch’s cape, use fruit snack cut in half crosswise at an angle; attach at base of marshmallow while frosting is soft. Set pretzels in drinking glass to dry before storing. Store in airtight container.

Pumpple Cake

The massive pumpple cake has apple and pumpkin pies baked into vanilla and
chocolate cake, respectively. One slice is 1,800 calories and can feed four people.

TODAYshow.com
updated 10/25/2010 11:39:51 AM ET 2010-10-25T15:39:51

Is it a cake or a pie? It’s both, and it’s 1,800 calories a slice. ‘Pumpple cake’ is a hybrid of pumpkin pie, apple pie and cake.

You’ve heard of turducken, now get ready for the dessert equivalent — the pumpple cake.

While the turducken, a chicken stuffed into a duck stuffed into a turkey, once seemed over-the-top, the pumpple cake is even more decadent. One Philadelphia bakery dreamed up this ultimate fall dessert: pumpkin and apple pies baked in chocolate and vanilla cake, fused together and surrounded by buttercream icing.

This oversize creation weighs in at a whopping 15 pounds and measures more than a foot tall. And at 1,800 calories a slice, it's not for the faint of heart.

The Flying Monkey, located in Philadelphia’s famous Reading Terminal Market, bakes this dessert-lover’s fantasy from scratch over the course of two days. It starts with the pies, which it par-bakes. The half-cooked pumpkin pie is dipped into chocolate cake batter and baked. The apple pie and vanilla cake get the same treatment and are baked on top of the chocolate cake. Its massive size means that it spends hours in the oven. Homemade buttercream is then — literally — the icing on the entire cake.

“We only opened about a month ago and started making the pumpple cake a week later,” said Elizabeth Halen, the owner of the Flying Monkey. “Now we are making the cake daily and selling out. I told friends about it through my Facebook page and Twitter feed and word has spread like wildfire from there.”

With their mouths full, they gushed over the massive sweet treat.

“That is obscene — that is delicious,” Gifford said.

One slice of this hybrid is enough to feed four and sells for $8, but if you are planning a large gathering or feeling extra-hungry, a whole cake can be ordered with 72 hours notice and sells for $75. If a whole cake is just too much for your family’s stomach, the Flying Monkey also makes a smaller version — the pumpplet.

Candy Corn Cake Bars

INGREDIENTS

Bars
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted, cooled slightly
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
4 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 drops yellow food color
3 drops red food color

Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened (do not use margarine)
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt

Decoration
1/3 cup candy corn (32 candies)


DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Line bottom and sides of 9-inch square pan with foil, extending foil 2 inches on 2 opposite sides of pan; spray foil with cooking spray.
2. In medium bowl, beat melted 3/4 cup butter, the granulated sugar and orange peel with wooden spoon until blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour and baking powder just until mixed. Stir in yellow food color until well mixed. Spread 1 1/2 cups yellow batter in pan. Place pan in freezer about 15 minutes or until batter is slightly firm to the touch.
3. Meanwhile, add red food color to remaining cake batter in bowl until well mixed. Spread over chilled yellow batter.
4. Bake 47 to 53 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.
5. In medium bowl, beat 1/2 cup softened butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar until well blended. Beat in milk, vanilla and salt until smooth and spreadable. Spread frosting over bars. To serve, remove bars from pan, using foil to lift. Remove foil. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows; cut each square diagonally in half. Top each triangle with 1 candy corn.

Spider Oreos

INGREDIENTS

Black string licorice
20 orange creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
1 teaspoon chocolate ready-to-spread frosting (from 16-oz. container)
40 miniature candy-coated chocolate pieces


DIRECTIONS

1. For each cookie, cut eight 1 1/2-inch pieces of licorice for legs. Insert 4 pieces into each side of each cookie.
2. With frosting, attach 2 miniature chocolate pieces to top of each cookie for eyes. If desired, pipe a design with frosting on back of each spider cookie.

Ghost Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

3 cups baking mix
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup milk
4 eggs
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons miniature chocolate chips


DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 24 regular-size muffin cups with paper baking cups.
2. In large bowl, beat Bisquick mix, granulated sugar, brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, the pumpkin pie spice, milk, eggs and pumpkin with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter on low speed about 30 seconds or until well blended. Beat in vanilla and 2 cups of the powdered sugar on low speed about 30 seconds or just until mixed, then on high speed about 1 minute or until fluffy. Beat in remaining 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, on medium speed. If too soft to mound, add additional powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.
5. Spoon frosting into large resealable plastic food-storage bag; press out air and seal bag. Cut 1/2-inch tip from lower corner of bag. Squeeze bag to pipe about 2 tablespoons frosting into ghost-shaped mound on each cupcake. Press 2 chocolate chips, flat sides out, into frosting for eyes.
   

Halloween Chex Mix

INGREDIENTS

8 oz white chocolate baking bars, coarsely chopped
4 cups Corn Chex® or Rice Chex® cereal
2 cups bite-size pretzel twists
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup candy corn
1/4 cup orange and black candy decors


DIRECTIONS

1. In large microwavable bowl, microwave chopped baking bars uncovered on High 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth.
2. Gently stir in cereal, pretzels and raisins until evenly coated. Stir in candy corn and decors.
3. Spread on waxed paper or foil until cool and chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Break into chunks. Store loosely covered.

General Conference Whoopie Pies

What did I do today while listening to General Conference?

Glad you asked...

Mmmmm


Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Marshmallow Creme

Chocolate Whoopie with Peanut Butter

Oatmeal Raisin Pecan Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese

Halloween Pizza-Cookie

INGREDIENTS

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup candy corn
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup vanilla ready-to-spread frosting (from 1-lb can)


DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 12-inch pizza pan with foil; grease foil with shortening. Cut cookie dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices; arrange in pan. With floured fingers, press slices to form crust.
2. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
3. Use foil to lift crust from pan. Carefully remove foil from crust; place crust on serving platter or tray. Spread peanut butter over crust. Sprinkle candy corn and raisins evenly over top.
4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave frosting on High 10 to 15 seconds or until thin and drizzling consistency. Drizzle frosting over cookie pizza. Cut into wedges or squares.

Cookie Cups with Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS

1 package (16 oz) Pillsbury® Ready to Bake!™ refrigerated sugar cookies (24 cookies)
4 teaspoons sugar
1/3 cup chopped Walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup Hershey’s® semi-sweet chocolate baking chips
1/4 cup Smucker’s® Seedless Red Raspberry Jam
1 1/2 cups vanilla bean ice cream, softened
24 fresh raspberries

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 24 mini muffin cups with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Place 1 cookie dough round in each muffin cup. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
2. Place 2 teaspoons of the sugar in small bowl. Dip end of wooden spoon handle in sugar; carefully press into center of each cookie to make 1-inch-wide indentation. Cool completely in pan, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix walnuts and remaining 2 teaspoons sugar; set aside. In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds, stirring after 30 seconds, until smooth.
4. Run knife around edges of cups to loosen; gently remove from pan. Dip rim of each cup into melted chocolate, then into walnut mixture. Place walnut side up on cookie sheet with sides.
5. In another small microwavable bowl, microwave jam uncovered on High about 15 seconds until melted. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon jam into each cup. Freeze cups about 5 minutes or until chocolate is set.
6. Spoon ice cream into cups, using small cookie scoop or measuring tablespoon. Top each cup with fresh raspberry; serve immediately.

Caesar Chicken Salad Squares

Filling
2 cups cubed (1/8 to 1/4 inch) cooked chicken breast or 1 can (12.5 oz) chunk chicken breast in water, drained
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian cheese blend (2 oz)
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon bacon flavor bits
2 tablespoons regular or reduced-fat Caesar dressing
1 tablespoon regular or reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Crust
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated regular or reduced fat crescent dinner rolls OR 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
Garnish, if desired
1/4 cup Caesar dressing
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, mix filling ingredients until well blended.
2. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate into 4 rectangles. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; press each into 6x4-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; press each into 6x4-inch rectangle.
3. Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto center of each dough rectangle. With knife, cut each corner of each rectangle from edge to within 1/2 inch of filling. Bring the 8 points of each rectangle up over filling; firmly pinch to seal, forming a square.
4. Bake 16 to 21 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Garnish each with 1 tablespoon Caesar dressing and 1/4 cup shredded lettuce.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Cookies
1 box Devil’s Food cake mix
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 tablespoons red food color
1 box (4-serving size) chocolate instant pudding and pie filling mix

Filling
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups marshmallow creme
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup fresh raspberries

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or lightly spray with cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, beat cookie ingredients with electric mixer on low speed until moistened; beat 1 minute longer on high speed. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls 2 inches apart onto parchment-lined cookie sheets.

3. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until set (do not overbake). Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

4. In large bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. For each cookie pie, spread about 1/4 cup filling on bottom of 1 cooled cookie. Top with blueberries, raspberries and second cookie, bottom side down.

Sundae Pie

INGREDIENTS

Crust
1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Filling
4 cups (1 quart) vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
1/2 cup caramel topping
1/2 cup fudge topping
3/4 cup Spanish peanuts (4 oz)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 450°F. Bake pie crust as directed on box for One-Crust Baked Shell, using 9-inch glass pie plate. Cool on cooling rack 15 minutes.
2. Layer 2 cups of the ice cream in crust. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of the caramel topping and 1/4 cup of the fudge topping. Sprinkle with peanuts. Layer remaining 2 cups ice cream over peanuts. Freeze 4 hours or overnight.
3. Drizzle individual servings with remaining caramel topping and fudge topping. Sprinkle with additional peanuts. Cover and freeze any remaining pie.

Peanut Butter Fudge Bars

Cookie Base
1	pouch (1 lb 1.5oz) Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix
3	tablespoons vegetable oil
1	tablespoon water
1	egg
Topping
1	cup hot fudge topping
1	cup Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy cream cheese frosting
1/4	cup creamy peanut butter
1	container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
2	bars (2.1 oz each) chocolate-covered crispy peanut-buttery candy, unwrapped, finely crushed

	Print these coupons...
	About Concordance™

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, oil, water and egg until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom of pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
2. Spread hot fudge topping over cooled cookie base. In large bowl, combine frosting and peanut butter until well mixed. Add whipped topping and candy; gently fold until well blended. Spoon mixture over hot fudge topping then carefully spread to evenly cover. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Party Foods

Thisweek we had a party and tried to mix it up with some new foods.
We consumed many delightful goodies. Chocolate pecan pie; apple pie; chocolate cupcakes with butter cream frosting; Muddy Buddies; popcorn; chicken pinwheels (chicken, cream cheese, green onion, cilantro); spicy chicken pinwheels (with jalapenos); tortilla chips with nacho cheese and salsa; jalapeno cream cheese poppers; and raspberry lemonade.

What we can Learn From Jell-O Salad

I thought this was an interesting article....

What we can learn from Jell-O salad

May 12th, 2010 @ 6:46am

By Paul Nelson

SALT LAKE CITY -- Fry sauce, funeral potatoes and Jell-O salad; a researcher at the University of Utah says their appeal to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints says a lot about Mormons.

Tanner Humanities Center fellow Kate Holbrook will spend the next year looking into what Latter-day Saints eat and what they avoid.

Holbrook says the dishes Church members like say a lot about who they are. Her data goes back to before the turn of the 20th century.

"They were more likely to have whole wheat recipes, for example, in 20th-century Mormon cooking than they are in the rest of the country," Holbrook says.

She says Latter-day Saints were aware of the health benefits, but that is not the only reason why they ate so much whole wheat.

"They'll have whole wheat cookies. They'll have whole wheat muffins. They'll have whole wheat flour in cakes, because they were trying to rotate their food storage,"Holbrook explains.

This rotation in food storage also led Latter-day Saints to sometimes add powdered or evaporated milk into their recipes instead of fresh milk.

So, what does what people eat say about who they are? Holbrook says you can determine the values of a people by what they serve for dinner.

"You have values like frugality; values like sharing, generosity, taking care of the poor [and] building up stores to be self sufficient and secure," she says.

Take, for instance, the notorious green Jell-O salad. Holbrook says this particular dish shows a couple of different values among Latter-day Saints, including how social they can be, since it's a dish that's commonly taken to social gatherings.

"A lot of the things that have become popular in Mormon food ways are things that are things that will appeal to children as well as adult,"Holbrook says.

She also says this particular dish illustrates how frugal Mormons are (or cheap, depending on how you look at it). It gives the appearance of putting a lot of thought into the dish without putting in a lot of money.

E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com

Chicken Tostadas

This is one of my favorite recipes. It is simple and delicious.

Chicken Tostadas

• Boiled Chicken breasts, shredded/chopped (1 large is definitely enough for 2-3 people)
• 3-4 large flour tortillas
  
• 1 can of whole kernel corn
• 1 cup chopped green onion
• 1 small can of diced chilies (with sauce)
• A splash of your favorite hot sauce
• 2 cups mild-medium salsa (feel free to go hotter if you like spice)

1. Baked tortilla at 350 degrees for 7-9 minutes until crispy
2. Meanwhile in a medium saucepan, combine chopped up chicken breast, corn, hand dull of chopped green onions, diced chilies, a splash of hot sauce and salsa
3. Cook for about 10 minutes on a light simmer.
4. Place chicken mixture on top of baked tortillas and a sprinkle of green onions.
5. For extra flavor sprinkle with finely chopped cilantro and shredded cheese.

This recipe has great color and great flavor! If you need some more ideas for things to throw into the mix, let me know!

Monarch Butterfly Cupcakes

Over the weekend I tried a project. A project that I feel ultimately failed, but I did in fact try it out.

I tried to make monarch butterfly cupcakes. Devil's food cupcakes, green icing grass and a delicate monarch chocolate butterfly on top that I was going to do free-hand. Instead I wrecked the orange colored white chocolate, put a hole in my piping bag and spilled chocolate everywhere that subsequently hardened all over the counter.
In the end, I gave up my orange monarch butterfly dreams and settled for four black and white butterflies. They are not the best. They are not exactly what I wanted. But I tried and that's what's important.

Eight Worst Easter Candies

Eight Worst Easter Candies

You can add Easter to the list of holidays on which Americans are willing to abandon their low-sugar and low-carb diets. In fact, spending on Easter candy increased 5.6 percent between 2006 and 2007. Easter typically ranks as the holiday with the second-highest spending on candy, right behind Halloween. If these trends continue, an excess of bunnies and eggs is likely right around the corner. But not all of these treats are equal when it comes to nutrition. Here's where eight of the most popular Easter candies land on the calorie scale. They range from a demure 130 to a whopping 1,050 calories.
1. Peeps. A few of these fluffy, sugar-filled treats can add up quickly. Go through a row of four bunnies and you're at 130 calories. Peeps are fat-free but do weigh in heavy on the carb count--each little rabbit has 8 grams of sugar alone, adding up to 32 grams in a serving of four.

2. Jelly Beans. These can be your worst foe or your best friend in the Easter basket, depending on how many you eat. Each individual bean is pretty low in calorie count, with usually around 5 or 6 calories, but munching through a handful or worse, an entire bagful, of Jelly Bellys adds up quickly. The recommended 35-bean serving comes in at 140 calories from 37 grams of sugar. To avoid jelly-bean overdose, it's probably best to grab a handful and then keep the Easter basket out of reach.

3. Cadbury Chocolate Eggs. These eggs may look tiny, but their calorie count is anything but. A handful of 12 eggs comes with 190 calories and 8 grams of fat. You might want to skip over these high-cal eggs if you come across them on the hunt.

4. Cadbury Creme Egg. It's possibly the quintessential Easter treat, but most people won't be surprised to find out that the creamy egg packs in the calories. The 1.2-ounce egg comes with 150 calories, 5 grams of fat and 25 grams of carbs. If you're looking for an excuse to indulge, there is a slight silver lining: the tasty milk chocolate comes with 40mg of calcium, which is about 5 percent of the recommended daily value.

5. Reese's Peanut Butter Egg. This egg slightly edges out its creme-filled rival in the unhealthy Easter-egg competition. All three varieties of the Reese's egg--milk chocolate, fudge and white chocolate--have a calorie count of 180. The fat content weighs in around 10 grams, double that of the Cadbury Creme Egg, with the white-chocolate egg the worst, at 11 grams. Stick to the traditional Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, which, though it lacks the festive Easter element, has nearly half the calories of its egg-shaped relatives.

6. Lindt Chocolate Carrots. In a sea of eggs and bunnies, chocolate carrots are one of the more unusual Easter candy options--Lindt only started offering them seven years ago. Sadly, they have little nutritional value in common with their vegetable counterparts: a box of four carrot-shaped chocolates has 210 calories.

7. Hershey's Hollow Milk Chocolate Egg. This might come as the biggest surprise: one hollow Hershey's egg (4.65 ounces) has more than three times as many calories as the Cadbury Creme Egg. The shell alone has 570 calories. Start munching on the four Hershey's kisses included inside and you're up to a whooping 660 calories and 41 grams of fat. This may be one of the few Easter offerings that makes a Reese's Peanut Butter Egg look like health food.

8. Large Chocolate Bunny. Not surprisingly, the bunny reigns as king when it comes to Easter calories. But the calorie count may still raise a few eyebrows: the average seven-ounce rabbit clocks an impressive 1,050 calories. Smaller bunnies are better--rabbits of the one-ounce variety only rack up 140 calories.