Recipes

Super Simple Mini Cherry Pies

June 14, 2013

Okay, okay! So this recipe isn’t really a recipe. But hear me out…

They are just so cute not to share! Plus, I just love simple things that you can throw together from start to finish in like 25-30 minutes.

I picked this summery recipe for this week’s edition of Sprint Cup Snacks because I wanted to take a picture and use these new napkins in it. NO!!! It’s because this weekend’s race is at Michigan International Speedway, and Michigan is known for their cherries. I mean, come on, the National Cherry Festival is held Michigan. Perfect!

Some helpful tips along the way. Basically don’t do what I did the first time I made these…

Do not over fill. They can easily bubble out all over the muffin tin.
Do not over bake. They are tiny so they are quick baking therefore don’t go up stairs to do laundry (out of range to hear the buzzer) and then run downstairs frantically when you remember you have something in the oven.
Let them cool a lot before you try to take them out of the well greased muffin tin.

Super Simple Mini Cherry Pies_01

Since this is a basic recipe feel free to change up the fruit or even the design on top. Just remember they are so super cute no matter what since they are teeny tiny 🙂

Super Simple Mini Cherry Pies

Makes 18 mini pies

Ingredients

2-9″ pie crusts
1- 14 ounce can of cherry pie filling
1 egg, plus 2 tablepsoons water
sugar
Need a 2″ circle cookie cutter and a very small star cookie cutter

Process

Preheat your oven to 425. Grease a mini muffin tin.
Use a 2″ circle cutter to cut circles out of the pie dough. Place one circle in each opening.
Place 2 tablespoons of the filling in each tart shell. (I placed 3 cherries per pie)
Cut the stars tops out of the remaining pie dough and top each tart with a star.
Make an egg wash by beating one egg with the water. Brush the top of each tart and then sprinkle with a bit of sugar.
Bake for 12-15 minutes on the upper rack.

Slightly adapted from Frankly Entertaining

Thirsty Thursday: Snickers Milkshake

June 13, 2013

Thirsty Thursday – Snickers Milkshake – Who wouldn’t want a candy bar in an ice cold glass overflowing with chocolate and peanuts

It’s mid June and it’s really freaking cold out here in Boston. Plus it’s been raining non stop. I am not happy about this. Not happy at all.

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Thirsty Thursday: S’mores Milkshake

June 6, 2013

So there is an ice cream truck that has been taunting me every night since it drives right down our block. It alternates between playing “pop goes the weasel” and “la cucaracha”. We live in a Hispanic area so the later song selection makes sense.

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Caramel Apple Crumble Bars

May 30, 2013

Now that we have unofficially hit summer, I’m gearing up to get ready for some BBQ’s this year. We always end up going to quite a few but I’m hoping that we do our fair share of hosting this summer as well. (Maybe we should buy a patio set? eek!) So I’m looking to get creative with our summer fare this year. We have great, fresh meat, fruits, and veggies at our fingertips so why not have some fun with them?

That there alone is justification to spend plenty of time on Pinterest, no? Oh, man so addicted to that damn site! But it’s so much fun to find interesting recipes to make on the grill or to serve along side of your burger, grilled sausage, or chicken. I love giving anything a try, especially if it’s a twist on something. After making a wing sauce with apple butter I’m all of trying anything because you can be surprised with anything. Really, apple butter in a wing sauce? Trust me, so good.

Well, when Musselman’s contacted me again to work with them so I can try a recipe that would be great for summer time BBQ’s I jumped at the chance. I browsed through their recipes and while their bacon baked beans and their BBQ sauces sounded great I wanted to make something that I could easily share now. So that means I turn to something I can bring into work… which means sweet treats! This recipe for Caramel Apple Crumb Bar would be perfect!

These were so easy to make and the result was a really good caramel-y apple packed bar. They were a hit with everyone that had a piece. Don’t you just love when that happens? 🙂 I swear I’ll be making these again but next time I’ll definitely remember to grease the pan this time. FACEPALM! Other than that a total success.

Caramel Apple Crumble Bars

Makes 32 bars

Ingredients

Crust

1 18.25 ounce box of yellow cake mix
2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup Musselman’s Apple Butter
1 egg

Caramel Layer

1 14-ounce package of vanilla caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons Musselman’s Apple Butter

Topping

2/3 of a cup of chopped walnuts
2/3 cup shredded coconut
2 tablespoons melted butter

Process

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13×9 baking dish.
Beat the cake mix and butter on low speed until the mixture is crumbly. Remove 1 cup of the mixture, set aside.
Add the apple butter and egg to the remaining cake mixture. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Spread into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, or until it’s starting to brown and set.
While the crust is baking, combine the vanilla caramels, butter, and apple butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth.
Combine the topping ingredients with the cup of the reserved cake mixture until crumbly.
Pour the caramel mixture over the partially baked crust. Evenly sprinkle the crumbly topping over the caramel. (Some of the caramel will show through.)
Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the topping us starting to brown. Cool completely prior to cutting into 32 bars.

Source: Musselman’s

Thirsty Thursday: Red, White, and Blue Sangria

May 23, 2013

I can’t wait for Memorial Day.

Summer is my favorite time of year and Memorial Day weekend is the unoffical kickoff to summer. It’s going to be gloomy in Boston this weekend but I don’t care! We are grilling no matter what!!! I just love this weekend and what it represents so I was excited when Amanda picked Memorial Day for our Thirsty Thursday theme this week.

I know everyone thinks of flags for the Fourth of July but I think of the Red, White, and Blue just as much now. So that is why I made a Red, White, and Blue Sangria. Sure, sure the pineapple is actually yellow but let’s play along and say it represents the white. It’s a great summery drink to enjoy now or for the Fourth of July 🙂

red white and blue sangria_03

Amanda made Sarasota Lemonade. It’s perfectly refreshing and a great drink to cool off with while taking in some sun this summer! Sounds so good that I might have to sneak some to the beach… shh don’t tell!! 🙂

Red, White, and Blue Sangria

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

1 bottle dry white wine, such as a Sauvignon Blanc
1/2 cup triple sec
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
1 1/2 cups hulled and sliced fresh strawberries
1 pineapple chunks
2 cups Sprite

Process

Combine all of the ingredients, except the Sprite, in a large punch bowl or pitcher and stir well. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Serve well-chilled with a good scoop of fruit floating in each drink.

Inspired by Recipe Girl

Tar Heel Pie

May 17, 2013

A few years back Price and I visited Charlotte, NC for a little vacation. We were, and I guess still are, entertaining the idea of moving down there. Far far away from now, like when I just can’t take 1 more snowy winter. We’ll see where things go but I liked the area. Although housing developments and complexes that are outside the city are so foreign to me. Just don’t see much of that up here in New England. Plus everyone drove so slow. Us Massholes are used to going 75+ in a 65 mph zone, but down there with the same speed limit people were going 63. Strange.

Anyway, we enjoyed our trip down there getting to try all the great food, wander around, visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and get a tour of Charlotte Motor Speedway. I loved being in the heart of NASCAR. So that is why I’m so excited for this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint All Star Race, that is held in Charlotte.

For this week’s edition of Sprint Cup Snacks I picked this pie because it has the same name as the nickname for North Carolina. The Tar Heel State needs a Tar Heel Pie! The state has has that nickname from their vast pine forests that make tar, pitch, and turpentine.

I shared some pie with a coworker and he asked me about it since he’d never heard of Tar Heel Pie before. I simply told him “Chocolate, sugar, pecans!” That’s basically it but it’s so much more as well. So good.

This pie will have you begging for mercy! So dang good!

Tar Heel Pie

Makes 8-12 slices, all depends on how hungry you are!

Ingredients

1 handmade or store-bought 9″ pie crust
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup semisweet chocolate chip
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
Whipped cream for serving

Process

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the prepared pie crust and 9″ pie plate onto a rimmed baking sheet.
Place the chocolate chips in a large bowl and pour the warm melted butter on top, stir until completely melted and smooth.
Add the sugars, flour, eggs, vanilla, coffee, and salt, mix to combine. Stir in the nuts.
Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell. Bake until set and the crust is golden brown, 30-35 minutes.
Let stand for at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with whipped cream.

Source: Happier Than a Pig in Mud

Thirsty Thursday: Brazilian Lemonade

May 16, 2013

Guess what?!

Brazilian Lemonade doesn’t actually have lemons in it. It’s all limes baby!

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Pimento Cheese Mini Burgers

May 10, 2013

It’s getting warmer up here in Boston. So we’ve been doing some garden work and busting out the grill. I just love the summer and spending our time outdoors drinking icy cold beers, snacking on chips and homemade guac, and dining on burgers. So lately I’ve been dreaming up all the fun burgers we can make this year (all of these sound awesome) and one such burger on my mind was a Pimento Cheese Burger.

We first had Pimento Cheese Burgers years ago while in Charlotte. Ahhhh-mazing. I’ve only made them a few times since then since they are so rich and indulgent. But the flavor combos are so dang good. I love mayo on my burgers and obviously cheese burgers are better than plain burgers so it all just adds up perfectly.

So when it came to thinking up something for my Sprint Cup Snacks recipe for this weekend’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 in Darlington, SC I pulled out my Pimento Cheese Burgers. So perfectly Southern! I whipped up some Mini Burgers since everything mini is just so dang cute. Plus I’m always trying to think of fun recipes for a crowd or ones to quickly nosh on while watching that week’s NASCAR race.

Pimento Cheese is yummy with just crackers but slather it on some burgers and it will become your favorite way of enjoying it. But, of course, putting it on sliders makes the whole situation that much better. Plus the best thing is that it is super easy to whip up. As much as I love our grill, I used my cast iron skillet since I didn’t want to run the risk of flipping the mini burgers through the grates. In all it took about 15 minutes of prep for this dinner. awesome!

I swear these will be a hit with you crowd!

Pimento Cheese Mini Burgers

Makes 6 sliders

Ingredients

Pimento Cheese

8 ounces of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 ounce jar of diced pimentos, drained
1/3- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
cayenne and black pepper to taste

Burgers

1 pound of 85/15 ground beef
1 teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
pinch of black pepper
6 whole wheat dinner rolls

Process

To make the Pimento Cheese, combine the cheese, pimentos, and mayo. Mix thoroughly. Add the cayenne and pepper to taste. Set aside to chill for at least 1 hour.
In a large bowl combine the ground beef and the Seasoned Salt and black pepper. Evenly divide the burgers into 6 rounds. Shape and flatten each burger so they are slightly thicker than 1/4″.
Cook the burgers until desired doneness.
Slice the dinner rolls in half. Place each burger on the bottom portion of the buns, then scoop about 2 tablespoons of the pimento cheese on each burger, and top off with the rest of the bun.

Pimento Cheese adapted from Epicurious

Thirsty Thursday: Cucumber, Mint, and Basil Soda

May 9, 2013

Amanda, mom of 3 super cute boys, picked this week’s Thirsty Thursday theme for us… Mother’s Day! And just like that it reminded me that Mother’s Day is this upcoming Sunday. It’s like Easter in that it moves around, so I loose track of it.

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Thirsty Thursday: Layered Frozen Mango Raspberry Margaritas

May 2, 2013

Going to sound cliche right now but… HOW IS IT MAY ALREADY?!!?!?

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Banana Bundt Cake- SRC

April 29, 2013

Another Monday. Another exhaustive start to the week.

Pricer and I kicked some garden butt this weekend. He worked in back attacking weeds and digging out the million rocks and chunks of broken concrete in the ground there. (Major thanks to the contractors, who instead of having the chunks of the driveway they dug into hauled away, just threw all of it into the garden. THANKS d-bags.) I worked in front digging up part of the lawn to plant some flowers and some seeds for 5 varieties of flowers, including moon flowers and canterbury bells. Plus some container work transplanting some little trees into bigger pots and prepping for some summer veggies and herbs.

Man, I wish I had a slice of this bad boy for breakfast today. It would totally jump start my week!

Moist banana cake topped with a dreamy cream cheese frosting. It would totally work for dessert or breakfast. Right?!?!

I just made this cake last week but I’ve already planned on making it again soon. I bought more bananas for them to chill out and get nice and soft so they can be whipped up into this stunning cake.

Banana Bundt Cake_05

This month’s Secret Recipe Club recipe is from K&K Test Kitchen. Mother and daughter duo, Kim and Kelesy, started the blog in 2010 as a creative outlet to be able to document and share cooking adventures with family and friends. Since they they have made some fantastic recipes that had me really interested when i was browsing their blog.

It’s funny tho. As I scrolled through the recipe index I saw their Banana Bundt Cake and immediatly knew that tthe recipe that I would make. Still I browsed aorund and saw some great recipes that I wrote down just to give a try one day. Like this Sun-dried Tomato, Corn, and Bacon Pasta sounds awesome. And I think I’ll have to make this Strawberry Peach Sangria one day for Thirsty Thursday.

Stop by K&K Test Kitchen to check out this Banana Bundt Cake recipe along with many other scrumptious recipes!

Banana Bundt Cake

Makes 8-12 servings

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups cake flour
1 package vanilla instant pudding
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup greek yogurt

Process

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a large Bundt Pan by generously buttering and then lightly dusting the sides with flour.
Whisk the flours, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt together.
Beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugars and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract. Then add the eggs, one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the bananas. Finally, mix in half the dry ingredients, all the greek yogurt, and then the rest of the flour mixture.
Scrape the batter into the pan, rap the pan on the counter to de-bubble the batter and smooth the top.
Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check the cake after about 30 minutes, if it is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent.
Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding on the rack to cool to room temp.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Process

Beat cream cheese and the powdered sugar until smooth.
Add the milk and vanilla extract, beat again until it is thoroughly mixed and spreadable. Add more cream if you want a thinner icing.
Spread onto the cooled cake.

Adapted from: K & K Test Kitchen

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Check out my previous Secret Recipe Club Posts

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Thirsty Thursday: Blackberry Margaritas

April 25, 2013

So it seems fitting that I get through the entire winter without being sick and now… bam! I think it had really been well over 1 year and half since I had a cold and now all my good luck has caught up with me.

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