Blueberry Almond Buckle from Nordstrom (Gluten-Free!)

My sister discovered this amazing gluten-free creation at the Nordstrom café, shared it with my mom, and then my mom found the recipe HERE and made it while I was in town recently. Although my mom thought it was better baked in individual portions because the edges were able to get more of a crunch to them, this is the only version I have tried and I thought it was heavenly!!!

Blueberry Almond Cake
From our Nordstrom Bistro, Grill, Blue Stove, Ruscello, Bazille and Bar Verde locations
(Serves 12)

Blueberry Almond Cake
1 1/2 cups almond flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 cups finely ground polenta (cornmeal)
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 pounds fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 10-by-3-inch springform pan and dust it with a few tablespoons of almond flour. Shake the pan until the flour is distributed evenly across the bottom and sides. Or, for individual portions, lightly butter 8-ounce crème brûlée dishes.
2. In a stand mixer, add almond flour, polenta, baking powder, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Mix on low speed to combine.
3. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, to form a smooth batter. Once eggs are incorporated, add butter and continue mixing until combined; do not overwork.
4. Remove bowl from stand mixer and fold in blueberries, trying not to break them, until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
5. With a spatula, transfer batter to prepared baking dishes (about 6 ounces for each individual baking dish, if using). Set aside to make the buckle topping.

Buckle Topping
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1. In a stand mixer, add the almond flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt.
Mix on low speed and add butter, mixing until the topping resembles wet sand.
2. Top the cake(s) with an even coating of the buckle topping (about 2 tablespoons each for the individual portions).
3. Transfer to oven and bake until golden on top and the center is set, about 50 minutes (or 20 minutes for the individual portions.
4. Transfer to a cooling rack, and let cool at least 1o minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature after dusting with confectioner’s sugar and placing a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top.

Avalanche Bars (Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory copy)

I have only occasionally stopped into Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factories for treats, but the Avalanche Bars definitely made an impression on me! While looking for some new dinner recipes to try last week I stumbled upon this version by Cookies & Cups and knew we had to try them. My oldest and her friend actually made these all on their own (hence the handfuls of chocolate chips on top haha) and they turned out so amazingly delicious! We will definitely make them again and again and again! Also, the recipe just makes a square baking dish worth which is nice because then you can enjoy them for a couple days without being tempted anymore :)!

Ingredients
12 oz bag of White Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups Rice Krispies
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips + 2 Tbsp for garnish.
Lightly grease a 9×9 pan

Directions
In microwave-safe bowl pour in white chips and heat on 50% power for 1 minute. Stir and continue in 30 second increments until chips are melted.
Combine the peanut butter with the melted chips and add the krispies.
Let cool approx 15 – 20 minutes stirring every 5 minutes or so to help cool.
Add the marshmallows and the mini chocolate chips and stir to combine.
Pour mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly, pressing lightly with the back of your spoon, but do not compact too much, otherwise they will get hard.
Press the remaining chocolate chips into the top for garnish.
When the bars are completely cooled cut into squares and enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

In the January issue of Parents magazine they had a little spread of cake recipes and since Addie's birthday was coming up I let her pick one of them to be her birthday cake. She went with the chocolate peanut butter, which I was very happy about :-). The beauty of this recipe is that you use a boxed cake mix so it is sooo easy! You make your own frosting, which is De-Licious, and then make it fancy with some chopped peanuts. It tasted amazing and wasn't hard to do!

Ingredients:
•1 2-layer-size package chocolate cake mix
•1 cup butter, softened
•1 cup creamy peanut butter
•1/4 cup milk
•1 teaspoon vanilla
•4 cups powdered sugar
•1 1/2 cups lightly salted peanuts, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 8-inch round cake pans; set aside. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake about 25 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.
2. Meanwhile, prepare frosting. In a large mixing bowl combine butter and peanut butter. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add milk and vanilla and beat on low just until combined. Slowly add powdered sugar, beating on low until sugar is just incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 1 minute.
3. Use some of the frosting to fill and then crumb coat the cake. Chill the cake for 10 minutes to firm up the crumb coat. Generously frost the cake with the remaining frosting.
4. Make swirls in the frosting with the back of a spoon, using gentle pressure and lifting the spoon straight up at the end of each movement.
5. Cupping some of the peanuts in your hand, lightly press them around the sides of the cake. Once the sides are covered, use the peanuts that have fallen down onto the plate to press into any open spots.
Servings Per Recipe: 16; Amount Per Serving: cal: 598, Fat: 37, chol: 72, carb: 62

Bob Andy Pie

I may have loved the peach pie, but this one was the big hit of the night and was specifically mentioned in our book (Peace Like a River...which we all loved by the way!). Thanks again to Susan for baking the delicious pies and then sharing the recipes with us all! The recipe and notes below are taken straight from the email she sent out...

The notes on this one are from the site where I got it. I have Pennsylvania Dutch heritage, too.
Bob Andy Pie Recipe
* 3 large eggs
* 2 cups whole milk
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 (9-inch) pie shell (flute high; it will be full)

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Crack eggs in a medium bowl and whisk. Whisk in milk. Add sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt and whisk into milk mixture.
Pour filling into unbaked pie shell. Bake until custard has set and crust is golden, about 50 minutes.
Remove from oven, cool and serve at room temperature or chilled.
Serves 8.

It has a fabulously funny name – Bob Andy Pie – and old roots in the midwest Amish communities of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, but it feels right at home today, when we crave simple, comforting flavors and value the utter ease of a dessert for which you will already have all the ingredients. Some might think of it as a spiced chess pie. Others liken it to a Sugar Cream Pie, a staple that is popular in Indiana.
Bob Andy? Say what?
The common story goes that an Amish farmer came in from working in the fields, took one bite of this delicious pie and said, “This pie is as good as Bob and Andy.” Bob and Andy were his two prize gelding plow horses.
That works for me! I guess it speaks to my Pennsylvania Dutch heritage.
One intriguing feature of this pie is that the ample cinnamon floats to the top while baking, making a dark crust, and giving the impression of layers. It’s a very pretty pie when cut!

Peach Pie

I hosted book club this month and one of my favorite ladies from church brought 2 pies in honor of the book we read. I LOVED this peach one! I don't eat peaches nearly enough and I forget how much I love them. I think I have posted Susan's crust recipe before, but here it is again in a convenient place for when I try making this pie on my own!

Peach Pie
6 cups peeled, sliced peaches (she used frozen and said there is no need to defrost them)
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons corn Starch
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400°.
Prepare crust for a 9" two-crust pie.
Mix the sugar, corn starch and spice together and then mix gently with the sliced peaches.
Place in prepared pie shell. Cover. Seal edges well and cut steam vents in the top crust.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until crust is brown and the juice bubbles through the vents.
Serve warm or cold.

Fool Proof Pie Crust
Cut together with pastry blender:
4 cups flour
1¾ cups vegetable shortening

Mix in small bowl or measuring cup:
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 egg
½ cup water

Combine two mixtures until moistened. Chill 15 minutes. Refrigerate up to 3 days, or freeze. Makes 2 2-crust pies

Notes to the wise:
· All pastry recipes benefit from chilled ingredients. If your house is warm, chill the shortening. Use ice water.
· Any pastry will benefit from chilling before shaping. Any pastry can be frozen, airtight for up to 3 months. Label well.

Soft Sugar Cookie Bars with Buttercream Frosting

I wasn't sure what to make for our Valentine's treats to pass out to friends this year, but I did know life has been extra crazy so we needed to keep it simple. Then I saw these guys on Cassie Craves and knew they would be perfect. What I didn't know is just how absolutely AMAZING they would really be. They are completely addictive so be sure you are sharing them with someone!!! (I doubled the dough recipe but still had enough frosting from one batch to frost them both) I think I may be making these for every holiday from now on :-)!

INGREDIENTS:
For the bars:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
For the frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a jelly roll pan (15 x 10 x 1) (I used a regular baking pan so mine were a little thicker) with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
2. In a mixer, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together. Add in egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
3. With mixer on low, add flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix until just combined.
4. Press dough evenly into your prepared pan. The dough will be sticky. (it's very sticky, I put my hand in a baggie and sprayed it with some cooking spray to push it into the pan)
5. Bake for 20 minutes until edges begin to golden. Cool completely before frosting.
6. To make the frosting, cream together the butter and vanilla. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar and the pinch of salt. Once smooth and creamy, add in heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, then beat at medium-high speed for a minute or two until light and fluffy. If desired, add food coloring and beat until combined.

Valentine Chex Mix

My mom brought this tasty treat for one of our Super Bowl snacks on Sunday. It was so cute and SO delicious. I loved that it wasn't too sweet...so you could eat even more of it :-)! She had posted it on her blog earlier in the week and I had really been wanting to make it, so I was especially excited to see it when they showed up!

Ingredients:
9 cups Rice Chex cereal
1 cup white vanilla baking chips
½ cup peanut butter
¼ cup butter or margarine
¾ cup powdered sugar
½ cup red, white and pink candy-coated chocolate candies
¼ cup red or pink jimmies sprinkles

Directions:
♥Step 1: In large bowl, place cereal. In small microwavable bowl, microwave baking chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.
♥Step 2: Place 1/2 of the cereal mixture in 1-gallon food-storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about 15 minutes.
♥Step 3: Meanwhile, stir candies and sprinkles into remaining cereal mixture. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about 15 minutes.
♥Step 4: In serving bowl, mix both cereal mixtures. Store in airtight container.

Chex Mix Peanut Butter & Chocolate Blast

We needed something sweet to snack on when I was preparing the line-up for our big family game day. I found this chex recipe and thought it looked perfect. It was a little more time consuming to make just because you have to lay out the chex to cool before breaking it up (the other recipes I've tried you just mix it all together and you're done), but it was really yummy and worth it in the end. I doubled the recipe, using half rice Chex and half corn Chex...it made a TON, but we managed to eat it at all our get togethers over the holiday weekend :-).

Ingredients:
6 cups Rice Chex cereal
1 cup white vanilla baking chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup red and green candy-coated chocolate candies (I wanted to use mini M&Ms, but I forgot them at the store and used the PB ones I had on hand instead)
1 cup dry-roasted peanuts

Directions:
1. Line 2 cookie sheets with foil or waxed paper. Place 3 cups cereal in large bowl. In small microwavable bowl, microwave white vanilla baking chips uncovered on High about 1 minute or until chips can be stirred smooth. Pour melted chips over cereal in bowl; stir to evenly coat. Spread mixture in single layer on one of the cookie sheets. Refrigerate 5 minutes or until set.
2. Repeat the above using the remaining cereal and the peanut butter chips; refrigerate 5 minutes or until set.
3. Gently break up coated cereal into large bowl. Add candy and peanuts; stir gently to combine. Store in airtight container.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Years ago I tried a sample of a pumpkin cheesecake at Costco and fell in love :-). This year I decided to try making my own and was surprised at how easy it was! The other good news is that this is a much more manageable size so I wasn't tempted to keep eating it for days and days and days! I once again went to allrecipes.com for this holiday hit. It got rave reviews from everyone at dinner!!!

Ingredients:
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2.In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.
3.Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.
4.Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

This year for our big Thanksgiving feast I was in charge of bringing the pumpkin pie and the mashed potatoes. I ended up making a traditional pumpkin pie and also a pumpkin cheesecake, which I'll post the recipe for soon. I love pumpkin pie! It's so yummy warm with vanilla ice cream and as far as pies are concerned one of the healthier options out there. The other reason I love pumpkin pie? It's sooo easy to make! I found this particular recipe on allrecipes.com and it was perfect!

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk (I used FF)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust (this is a good one!)

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes.
2.Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Halloween Chex Mix

This was definitely a big hit...even amongst the candy corn haters (like myself :-). Easy and festive and yummy! I'm sure we'll be making another batch before Halloween arrives.

Ingredients:
8 oz. white chocolate baking bars, coarsely chopped
4 cups Corn or Rice Chex cereal (we used corn)
2 cups bite-size pretzel twists (we used gluten-free pretzel sticks)
1/2 cup raisins (optional, we left out because they didn't seem to go in the mix)
1 cup candy corn
1/4 cup Betty Crocker orange and black candy decors (I KNEW I had these in the house, but couldn't find them so we used some Halloween sprinkles instead)

Directions:
*In large microwavable bowl, microwave chopped baking vars uncovered on high 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth. (I melted out chocolate in a pan on the stovetop)
*Gently stir in cereal, pretzels and raisins until evenly coated. Stir in candy corn and decors.
*Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool and let chocolate set. Break into chunks.

Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies

I was looking for a fun, easy treat to make with the kids and saw these on Our Recipe Box. They were seriously THE easiest cookies ever! The kids loved helping me roll the dough into balls and of course really loved eating them. I want to try this trick with some other cake mix flavors!

Ingredients:
1 box Funfetti Cake Mix (18 oz)
1/3 c. oil
2 eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, combine cake mix, oil and eggs. Stir until thoroughly moistened. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. With the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls to 1/4 inch thickness.
Bake for 6-8 minutes until edges are light golden brown. Cool one minute then move to cooking rack.

Chilled Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies

I saw these yummy guys in All You magazine quite awhile ago, but the kids and I just got around to giving them a try. They were a big hit! They were easy to make, gluten-free, and surprisingly delicious! We will definitely be making them again and again!

Ingredients:
* 2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
* 1/4 cup honey
* 1/4 cup light corn syrup
* 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
* 1/4 cup chocolate chips
* 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
* 3 cups corn flakes, lightly crushed

Directions:
* 1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Place a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add coconut and toast, stirring constantly, until light golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; let cool.
* 2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine honey, corn syrup and peanut butter. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring, then remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips and cocoa.
* 3. Continue stirring until chocolate chips have melted, then stir in cereal and toasted coconut until well coated. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet and refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cup Trifle Dessert

Ella and I were browsing food blogs looking for a yummy dessert for our back to school dinner and she kept picking out really fancy cakes, that frankly scared me! Then we saw this Peanut Butter Cup Trifle on The Sister's Cafe and were sold! I remembered I bought a trifle dish at my last Pampered Chef party and still needed to break it in. And the dessert? It was DELICIOUS!!! I mean, how can you go wrong with brownies, PB cups, and a creamy peanut butter layer?! It was a perfect recipe for little helpers to assist with as well. SOOO good...and SOOO easy!

Ingredients:
9×13 pan of brownies, cut into 1 inch pieces (can easily sub in gluten free brownies!)
5.1 oz instant vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
8 oz container thawed whipped topping (Cool Whip), divided (I used lite)
20 peanut butter cups, crumbled (buy in a 8-pack. Not the bite-sized)
5-6 peanut butter cups to garnish.

Directions:
Combine pudding and milk. Beat for 2 minutes. Add peanut butter and vanilla, beat until smooth. Gently fold in 2 cups cool whip.
Layer in trifle dish ½ the brownies, ½ the crumbled peanut butter cups, ½ the pudding mixture. Repeat. Top with cool whip and peanut butter cups. (Or shaved chocolate curls) Chill until serving.

Fresh Raspberry Bars

I LOOOOVE raspberries! They are one of my favorite things to eat and definitely my favorite berry, so when I saw the gorgeous pictures of these in my Better Homes and Gardens magazines I knew I would get around to making them. Mike's birthday presented the perfect occasion and they received rave reviews from everyone. They are SO good and super easy to make too.
(view the pretty step by step pictures from BHG here)

recipe by Scott Peacock
Ingredients
* 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) cut into 1-inch chunks
* 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
* 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
* Softened butter (for brushing sides of foil)
* 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam or preserves
* 1 pint (2 cups) fresh raspberries
* 1/2 of an 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
* 4 oz. goat cheese or 4 oz. cream cheese (I used all cream cheese)
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1 large egg
* 1 large egg yolk
* 2 Tbsp. finely shredded lemon peel (zest)
* 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla
* Powdered sugar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with a 24-inch-long sheet of aluminum foil, leaving extra foil extending over ends (use these later to lift bars from pan); set aside. In a large bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until it just begins to blend and soften slightly, about 30 seconds.

2. Add brown sugar and salt, beat on low speed until incorporated, 30 seconds to 1 minute. You're not trying to cream it, you're just mixing it in, Scott says. With mixer off, add the 2 cups flour. Beat on low speed until flour is incorporated. Increase speed to medium, mix until ingredients form an even, cohesive dough. "People tend to undermix shortbread, which makes it too crumbly," Scott says. "It's tough to overmix because of the amount of butter we use."

3. Break dough into small chunks and distribute in prepared pan; with your fingers press dough into an even layer. Bake 20 minutes or until dough has begun to puff and is just set. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes.

4. Lightly brush exposed sides of foil with softened butter to keep filling from sticking. Spread jam evenly over crust.

5. Sprinkle evenly with raspberries.

6. With a lemon zester, remove peel from lemon, making sure to avoid bitter white pith. "For the most flavor, you want to do this right before baking," Scott says.

7. In a large bowl beat cream cheese and goat cheese with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Mix in granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon flour until blended. With mixer running, add egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

8. Pour custard batter evenly over berries. Tilt pan back and forth to distribute evenly. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until barely set. Transfer to a wire rack until completely cool, about 1 hour; cover and transfer to refrigerator. Chill 2 hours. Top will crack slightly as it cools.

9. Use foil to lift the bars from pan. With a knife or metal spatula, support the sides of the bars while you gently peel the foil downward and away from sides of the bars.

10. Cut into long bars, peel foil from bottom, and transfer to cutting boars using side of a long knife or spatula. "Cutting first on the foil results in cleaner edges," Scott says. Cut into 24 squares
Sprinkle very lightly with powdered sugar. "It's much more interesting with just the rumor of sugar on top," Scott says. Makes 24 bars.

Bunny Buns

My oldest saw this recipe a few weeks ago in the Friend magazine and has been begging to make them ever since. We finally squeezed it in this past weekend just in time for Easter. The dough itself isn't actually sweet, so I actually preferred them without the glaze as a dinner roll. The kids, of course, LOVED them frosted though! It was a fun little activity that we'll be sure to repeat next Easter!

Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk, warmed not quite to boiling
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
5 1/2 cups flour, sifted
Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup hot water, 1 teaspoon butter

Directions:
1. Wash hands with soap and water.
2. Sprinkle yeast in the warm water and set aside.
3. In another bowl, blend milk, sugar, shortening, and salt. Cool until lukewarm, then add eggs, water with yeast, orange juice, and orange peel.
4. Stir in flour a few cups at a time to make a soft dough. Let stand for 10 minutes.
5. Knead dough 5–10 minutes on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic. Place it in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover bowl with a clean towel and put it in a warm place. Let dough rise for 2 hours, or until double in size. Punch dough down and let stand for 10 minutes.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into strips 1/2 inch wide and 14 inches long. Roll between hands into rounded snake shapes. Cut one strip into pieces 1/2 inch long, and roll into balls.
7. Place one long piece of dough on a greased cookie sheet. Place one end of the strip over the other to make a loop; bring the end that is underneath up and cross it over the other end. Place a ball of dough on top of the bottom loop.
8. Cover bunnies and let rise in a warm place for 45–60 minutes, until nearly double in size. Bake at 375ºF for 12–15 minutes.
9. For the glaze, stir powdered sugar, water, and butter together. Frost bunnies with the glaze while they are still warm.

Coconut Nest Cupcakes for Easter

I saw these adorable little guys on The Recipe Club and knew I had to try them! They were soooo good! I doubled the recipe and ate way too many, but we shared lots of them too :-). They weren't even hard to make, especially since I used store bought frosting (I have bad luck with frosting), but they look super impressive. The kids LOVED helping with them and then eating them when we were finished.

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, softened (when I doubled I used 1 regular and 1 lowfat)
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup water
1 boxed white cake mix
1 tsp vanilla

1 can cream of coconut (I found a Goya can of these in the international aisle of our grocery store)
prepared whipped cream (I used a tub of Duncan Hines fluffy cream cheese frosting)
2 cups toasted coconut
1 bag candy eggs

Directions:
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream together cream cheese, oil & eggs until smooth. beat in water, cake mix & vanilla. spoon into lined cupcake pans, filling about 2/3 full.
bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes.

Pour cream of coconut into a small bowl. stir until all combined.
while cupcakes are still hot, poke a few holes into the top of the cupcake with the back of a wooden spoon. spoon cream of coconut over each cupcake one tablespoon at a time, you might have to use your spoon to guide into the hole.
let cool completely before decorating. when cooled, spread whipped cream onto the cupcake. sprinkle with toasted coconut & top with candy eggs.

my crazy helpers :-)

Flourless Chocolate Cake

This recipe was in the Parade magazine insert of the Sunday paper a few weeks ago and is from Ingrid Michaelson. I ripped it out thinking it would perfect for our Valentine's dinner dessert and my grandma saved it for me too since it was gluten-free. Although my cake didn't turn out very pretty (and we tried our best to follow the recipe...maybe I didn't beat the egg whites enough?!), it was DELICIOUS!!! It was better than any gluten filled brownie I've tried (shhh, don't tell). And I plan on perfecting this baby by making it again and again! We had it with this equally tasty strawberry ice cream to be a little more festive.

Ingredients:
7 oz really good (45-50% cocoa) semisweet chocolate
3/4 c butter
1 c sugar, divided
4 eggs, separated

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Melt chocolate and butter in a double broiler. Stir together half the sugar and four yolks; add to melted chocolate concoction.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites; slowly add remaining 1/2 c sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold mixture into chocolate. Pour into a greased 9-inch cake pan.
3. Bake 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few crumbs on it. Cool 30 minutes before removing from pan. Dust with powdered sugar.

Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake

I am behind on posting my recipes, but I did want to be sure to get this one up because it would be a yummy Valentine's dessert. My mom got the recipe from one of her good friends and made it for my sister's birthday dinner last week. It was SOOOO good (my favorite bites had the melty chocolate chips inside!), especially served warm with ice cream on the side!

Ingredients:
1 chocolate cake mix (with pudding in the mix!)
1 large box chocolate pudding
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c warm water
4 eggs
1 c sour cream
1 12oz package chocolate chips

Directions:
Grease and flour a 12 cup bunt pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine cake mix and pudding mix. Blend in oil, water, eggs, sour cream.
Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into pan.
Bake 45 min-1 hour.
Cool 10 min, then slide knife around edges of pan and invert.
Cool completely and glaze.

Glaze:
Melt 1/3 c margarine and stir in 2 cups powdered sugar. Blend in 1/2 t. vanilla.
*my mom's friend sometimes just heats up a tub of frosting from the store and pours over the top instead.

(Valentine) Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

I saw these in All You magazine and they were too cute to resist! In the magazine they were circles, but we used a small heart cookie cutter to make them even more festive. My dough was pretty crumbly, but they turned out still thank goodness and got rave reviews from everyone who tried them!

Ingredients
* COOKIES:
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 15 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes
* FILLING:
* 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
* Pinch of salt
* 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
* Red food coloring

Directiones:
1. Make cookies: Arrange racks on bottom and top thirds of oven; preheat to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment. In a bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually add butter; slowly increase mixer speed to medium. Mixture will look crumbly at first, but continue mixing for about 8 minutes and it will come together in large clumps.(mine never came together in large clumps so I dumped it on the counter and smooshed it all together...it worked)
2. Transfer dough to a well-floured work surface and knead briefly, then press into a small rectangle. Cut dough in half. Working with one piece at a time, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 1 1/2-inch round cutter, cut circles. Gather up scraps, reroll and cut as many cookies as possible. Transfer them to baking sheets.
3. Bake cookies for 6 minutes, then rotate pans (top to bottom and front to back) and bake 6 minutes longer. Remove baking sheets from oven and place on wire racks for a few minutes to cool before transferring cookies to racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
4. Make filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add salt and confectioners' sugar.(I added a little bit of milk to help it cream together) Add food coloring, drop by drop, until filling takes on desired pink hue. Transfer filling to a pastry bag. Pipe filling onto half the cookies, then sandwich them together with remaining cookies.