Peanut Butter Pretzel Balls

Hi Guys! So this week I had originally wanted to try to make some truffles, but when I thought about what kind I kept coming back to peanut butter, which is one of my all time favorites! So I’m not sure you could technically call these truffles but they are the perfect bit size sweet treat, and for now, my version of truffles. 🙂

 

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RECIPE

Ingredients
5 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup crushed pretzels

Directions

1. Melt the butter
2. In a bowl, combine melted butter, marshmallow and peanut butter. Mix with spatula until smooth and creamy.
3. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Stir until combined and smooth. Mixture should not be sticky. If it is add a little more powdered sugar.
4. Fold in crushed pretzels
5. Roll mixture into teaspoon size balls, place on cookie sheet and put in the fridge to harden for at least 30 minutes.
6. Melt chocolate and dip balls to coat. Place back on cookie sheet and put back in the fridge to set.

 

XO – Ashley

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

I’m back! I am almost 2 weeks out from having my wisdom teeth out and doing great so naturally, it’s time to bake again. 🙂 So I saw these cookies browsing Pinterest and I had to try them. I didn’t change them at all because they sounded amazing as is!

I kind of wish I would have taken pictures of my kitchen while I was making these…flour was everywhere. And trying to cut them in the pinwheels and having them look perfect like you always see on Pinterest…yeah, that didn’t work out either.

I had about 6 or 7 cookies that actually came out looking somewhat the way they were supposed to and round so of course those are the ones I took pictures of!

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RECIPE

Cookies
¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, softened                             2 large eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar                                               ½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup powdered sugar                                                 1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour                                               ½ teaspoon salt

Filling
4 tablespoons butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened                   1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened                                  ½ teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. Starting with the cookies, in a large bowl beat together the butter and granulated sugar and powdered sugar for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Gradually ad the flour, baking power and salt just until flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth and soft. Flatten the dough into a thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
2. Once the dough is done chilling, separate the dough in half and roll out half of the dough ¼-inch thick and about 15-inches by 4-inches (doesn’t have to be exact). For the filling, spread 2 tablespoons of butter on top of the dough. Sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar mixture and lightly press the sugar mixture into the buttered surface of the dough. Starting with one long edge, roll the dough into a tight log.
3. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter slice the dough into 1-inch pieces, making about 15 cookies per log. Place the cookies 2 inches apart (swirly-side-up/down) on very lightly greased baking sheets . Repeat with the second half of the dough and the remaining butter and cinnamon/sugar mixture.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes until set. Do not over bake (you do not want them to brown). Let the cookies cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Prepare the glaze by mixing together the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar until thick and smooth. Add the vanilla and milk 1 tablespoon at a time. Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies.

Recipe from Creme de la Crumb.

XO – Ashley

Vanilla Ice Cream With Honey

Happy Sunday!! So for me, this weekend has been all about getting ready for next week! What is happening next week you might ask? I have to get my wisdom teeth out :(. While I am less than thrilled about it, non the less, it is happening. So what makes me feel better about having to get 4 teeth pulled, ICE CREAM!!!

So I didn’t jazz up this batch of ice cream like I usually do because I am not sure what to expect after getting my wisdom teeth out so I figured better safe than sorry. Plus, when you have a vanilla ice cream this good, you don’t need to add anything to it!

This ice cream is so soft, the texture is more like fro yo but has that great richness of ice cream.

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RECIPE

Ingredients
1 cup whole milk (I use what I have which is usually 2% and it comes out great)
3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of honey
pinch of salt

Directions – Using a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker

*If you are using an ice cream maker that has a mixing bowl that needs to be frozen, make sure you put the mixing bowl in the freezer the night before!

1. In a medium bowl combine milk and sugar. Mix with a whisk until sugar is dissolved.
2. Stir in heavy cream, vanilla extract and salt.
3. Cover and put mixture in fridge for 1-2 hours
4. Turn ice cream maker on and pour mixture in. Let mix for about 20 minutes. When ice cream is almost done drizzle in honey to ice cream.
5. When ice cream is done put into an airtight container and store in freezer.

XO – Ashley

His & Her Brownies

Ok, so when I was thinking about what I wanted to bake for my first post I couldn’t think of anything better than a brownie!! (it didn’t hurt that I have been craving brownies for the past week either :)) My husband loves brownies but isn’t a crazy chocolate person like I am, so I wanted to figure out a way to do a brownie that satisfied me but wasn’t chocolate overload for him and so the His & Her Brownies were born.

I started with a basic brownie, and then decided to make a caramel sauce to add a little extra sweetness for me, and then topped it with a cream cheese icing and the result was yummy, gooey goodness!

Confession – I have some extra caramel sauce left over so I like to heat it up and drizzle extra caramel on top. 🙂

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RECIPE

Ingredients
1 cup butter, melted                                             2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder              4 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour                                     4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In a bowl, combine melted butter and cocoa powder. Mix with a spatula until combined.
3. Gradually add the flour and sugar. Beat together with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined, DO NOT over mix.
4. Pour batter into a greased 9×13 in. baking dish. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Let brownies cool slightly.

Adopted from Lunch Lady Brownies

Caramel Sauce
1 cup packed brown sugar                            1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cups half-and-half                                   pinch of salt
4 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. While the brownies are in the oven mix the brown sugar, half-and-half, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes whisking throughout.
2. Add the vanilla extract and continue to cook for 1 minute.
3. Take off burner and let cool slightly and thicken up.
4. Poke holes in your brownies while they are warm with a knife and pour caramel sauce over top.

Note – You can use as much or as little as you like. I used about 3/4 of the mixture on the brownies and then saved some for extra topping.

Cream Cheese Icing
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese (I used 1/4 less fat)
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Directions

1. While the brownies are cooling make the icing. In a medium bowl beat cream cheese and butter until creamy.
2. Gradually add powdered sugar and salt, beating until blended. Stir in vanilla extract.
3. Ice brownies when completely cooled and enjoy!

XO – Ashley