Kit-Kat Candy Cake

October is my month of candy! I love the M&Ms, the chocolates, and even the candy corns and candy pumpkins. October just screams "CANDY" to me. This cake was made for a ward dessert auction that the YW put on. I am definitely not the best cake decorator, but I signed up to bring a cake anyway. Hmmm, not too smart. But then I remembered that I had pinned a few pictures of this Kit Kat cakes and decided to create my own! After further review, I dub it an adorable success.

This post will be more like an instructional post rather than a recipe. You can choose any frosting, cake, or filling candy you like. You can even choose the size. I went with an 8-inch round chocolate cake and buttercream frosting beneath all the candy delight. With the leftover batter, I made cupcakes :) Because it's all covered, you can go with WHATEVER flavor your heart desires. Take a look at that bath of glorious chocolate candy. Yum, yum. And you know what, this is the perfect treat to utilize some of those trick-or-treating M&Ms and Kit-Kats!

For a printable "recipe", click here.

Kit-Kat Candy Cake

Ingredients:

• two 8-inch round cakes 
• frosting (see recipe here)
• 1 1/2 c. M&Ms
• Kit-Kats
• ribbon

Instructions:

1. Bake your favorite cake and frost around and in the middle of the two layers. Don't worry about how it looks - it will be covered with candy.
2. Unwrap the Kit-Kats and place them onto the frosted cake, building a little chocolate fence around it. 
3. Let top icing harden, and the pour the M&M candies into the middle and evenly spread them out.
4. Tie the clean ribbon into a bow on the outside of the cake. 
5. Enjoy...OR...give away as an adorable edible gift.

This cake couldn't be easier and the result is a BEAUTIFUL presentation of chocolatey goodness. Unfortunately, I was unable to go to the auction and see how much the dessert (and the Cookies and Cream Cupcakes) brought it for the Young Women's Girls Camp, but I can assure you that it got sold and was probably a hit. 

The fun thing about this dessert is that you can adapt it to any season or holiday - red, white, and blue M&Ms with a patriotic ribbon for Independence Day; Reeses Pieces with an Autumn ribbon for Halloween/Thanksgiving; Red M&Ms and a red ribbon for Christmas. The list goes on. Go ahead and try it out. Let me know what you think!

Double Chocolate Drop Cookies

I have been trying a few different chocolate cookie recipes lately and none of them have wowed me enough to post them on the blog. I took photos - good photos - but the taste was just not...perfect. Until this last attempt. I should have known going into my search that The Pioneer Woman would have the solution to my problem! Her Triple Chocolate Cookies were the perfect combination of chocolate...and more chocolate! I didn't have milk-chocolate chips on hand so I only used semi-sweet and it was perfect. That gave the rich, chocolatey goodness that I crave. All the time.

Of course, I had to add M&Ms. M&Ms and sprinkles are probably my two favorite food "accessories". They have different colors and flavors for every season, they taste great, and people are way more likely to eat something with beautiful colorful dots all over than they are to eat something a little more plain. At least in my experience. Feel free to play around with the "icing on the cake" as I like to call it, by using Fall M&Ms, Christmas sprinkles, or whatever you like! The colorful options are endless. Plus, little toddlers - V-man in particular - love to dip the balls of dough into colorful candies and place on the cookie sheets. Rocking out to Disney music or kids Christmas on Pandora while dipping chocolate dough balls into M&Ms with my kids is one of the best things in life!

For a printable recipe, click here.

Double Chocolate Drop Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
• 2 c. sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/4 c. flour
• 3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 c. M&Ms, mini M&Ms, sprinkles, or topping of your choice, optional

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, scraping the sides once.
3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix in vanilla.
4. Sift together dry ingredients, then add in batches to the mixer, mixing until just combined after each addition.
5. Gently blend in chocolate chips.
6. Grab handfuls of dough and roll into tablespoon-sized balls. Dip the top of each ball into a bowl of M&Ms and place, M&M side up, on the cookie sheet. Continue with each dough ball. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are barely done but still soft and chewy. Don't overbake.
7. Let cool on a baking rack.
8. Enjoy and share with friends! 

These cookies were not only the sweet end of meal for a friend in need, but they also stuffed the bellies of an entire Scout Committee at my meeting on Sunday night. It's a good sign when people eat one...and then another...and then another. Yes, that's music to my eyes. Wait...

Enjoy these cookies. Play around with the candies on top and let your kids join you. They'll love it!

Three Cheese Mac-and-Cheese with Butternut Squash

A couple of weeks ago I discovered the very best homemade macaroni and cheese recipe. And I've made A LOT of homemade mac in my day. This recipe was inspired by Carlsbad Craving's recipe for Million Dollar Macaroni and Cheese...and it's worth a million dollars. Not only does it have cheddar and Parmesan cheese in it - which is amazing in and of itself - but it has a layer of silky sour cream and gooey provolone cheese as well. Like I said, with a few changes to her recipe, I've never had better.

When I made this for my family, it was a hit. When I made it for other families, it has been a hit. But this week, I decided to make it a tad lighter. I know what you're thinking: flavor and goodness is sacrificed to make way for the "light" part of recipes. Most of the time, yes. But in the case of this Three Cheese Mac-and-Cheese with Butternut Squash, no way. 

I bought a butternut squash for two reasons: 1) it's Fall, so that's what you do, and 2) my kids (and my husband) need vegetables. My squash sat on the counter for a week or so. I made a meal plan for two weeks and not one of the recipes involved squash...but they did involved mac. What better way to make my kids (and husband) scarf down their vegetables without even knowing it than hiding it in a cheesy, gooey, flavorful casserole. Ah yeah. 

My two toddlers rapidly ate their serving. And after my husband sat down with his SECOND full plate of squash and cheese, I informed him of the secret. He wasn't happy that I snuck vegetables in...but he had no idea. Success.

 

For a printable recipe, click here:

Three Cheese Mac-and-Cheese with Butternut Squash

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound macaroni (penne, rigatoni, or cellentani also works)
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 c. flour
• 2 c. milk*
• 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
• 2 c. pureed squash**
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon (I use Better than Buillon)
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 c. freshly grated cheddar cheese***
• 6-8 slices  provolone cheese
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Panko Topping:

• 3/4 c. panko breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta just until al dente according to package directions – don’t overcook! Strain and rinse with cold water.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.
3. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat then whisk in flour. Cook, while stirring for 2 minutes. Turn heat to low then gradually whisk in milk. Gradually add evaporated milk and squash to the skillet followed by Dijon mustard and all remaining spices/seasonings.
4. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly then reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally until thickened (but not overly thick). Remove from heat and whisk in sharp cheese until melted. Add pasta and toss until evenly coated (it will seem like a lot of extra sauce which is a good thing).
5. Pour half of the macaroni and cheese into prepared baking dish. Layer macaroni evenly with provolone cheese followed by an even layer of sour cream. Pour remaining macaroni and cheese over sour cream and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (or more to taste).
6. Panko topping (optional): Melt butter in olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add panko and stir to coat. Continue cooking until crumbs become golden brown. Evenly sprinkle over macaroni and cheese.
7. Bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and inside provolone is melted. If not topping with panko, broil until Parmesan is golden. Cool 10 minutes to set before serving.

*Use 3 c. milk if not doing the butternut squash version

**Add 1 Tbsp. cornstarch to the milk if not doing the butternut squash version

***Use 4 c. cheddar cheese if not doing the butternut squash version

I hope you and your family and friends enjoy this as much as we do! I didn't want to stray too far from the original goodness of this recipe, but if you're feeling adventurous, try adding sage, rosemary, or other Autumn herbs that pair well with butternut squash. 

And just as a side note...this recipe is awesome to make ahead and either freeze and heat up later, or take to a family needing dinner. It's hard to say no to homemade macaroni and cheese.

Crock Pot Sloppy Joes

I look at my blog and think, "wow, I sure make a TON of desserts!" But what's crazy, is that I make even MORE savory foods - in fact, probably four-times as many. I just never post them because my photos aren't amazing. Well these crock pot sloppy joes that I made the other night were so good that I just had to post the recipe for my own recipe box memory. My husband thought they were absolutely perfect and my toddler son ate 1 1/2 sandwiches! Little did he know that I snuck some tomato, bell pepper, and onion into these bad boys. Yes, I consider that a dinner success!

I've been really into crock pot meals lately. I make at least two each week because I teach piano lessons to a few kiddos right before dinner on Mondays and Tuesdays. There is no way I could have a full dinner ready when Shaner got home from work if I didn't have a crock pot meal ready to eat. The preparation earlier in the day is a lifesaver. This recipe for slow cooker sloppy joes from Six Sisters was a must-try on my crock pot Pinterest board. And like I said, it will be used again. Their recipe called for ground turkey...but Shaner would not approve of sloppy joes with no beef in them. Plus, V-man loves his red meat. I also omitted the celery and tomato soup (due simply to a lack of pantry ingredients...) and substituted one 10 oz. can of tomato sauce. It worked. Oh did it work!

For a printable recipe, click here:

Crock Pot Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 can (10 oz) tomato sauce
• 1/2 c. ketchup
• 2 Tbsp. mustard
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• hamburger buns
• cheddar cheese slices

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, add beef, onion, and green pepper and cook until beef is no longer pink; salt and pepper as desired. Drain the grease and add to crock pot.
2. Add the tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar to ingredients in the crock pot and stir together. 
3. Cook on low for 4 hours, keep warm until serving. Serve on hamburger buns with 1 or 2 slices of cheddar cheese.
4. Enjoy with your family and friends

Part of serving others includes the work I do as a wife and mother in my own home. My babies and my man need fed - and sometimes a quick sloppy joe meal in a crock pot is just what they need.

Go ahead and try it out!

Thanks for the inspiration Six Sisters!

Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Icing

I've mentioned before how much I love Autumn baking. It's the time of year for pumpkin, cinnamon, and yes - apples. September is my "apple month" as far as baking goes. October tends to be more of a candy/chocolate/candy corn month, and November is my pumpkin and pies month. It's a great little balance of happiness. When I first started this blog, I made a fresh apple cake and posted it here. It was delicious (obviously, as I only post things that I absolutely adore on this blog). This time, I found a new and improved recipe for the cake AND the frosting and I'm so excited to share it!

Chef in Training has a delicious recipe for Caramel Apple Sheet Cake. I modified it to fit my equipment and my tastes. Because her recipe did not call for any salt, I took the liberty of adding some. I also modified the recipe to fit a 9x13-inch cake pan. The caramel icing actually came from Spicy Southern Kitchen's Southern Caramel Cake recipe. Again, I added salt and modified the amount based on the size of the cake I made. These recipes go so so well together. 

For a printable recipe, click here:

Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Icing

Ingredients:

For the Cake

• 1 c. flour, plus 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/4 c. shortening
• 1/4 c. sour milk (1/4 c. milk with 1/4 tsp. lemon juice added)
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. peeled and chopped green apples (about 2 medium-sized apples)

For the Caramel Icing

• 1 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 6 Tbsp. butter
• 5 1/2 Tbsp. milk
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:

1. For the cake: In a large mixing bowl, measure flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon and stir to combine. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, water, and shortening. Bring to a boil. After mixture reaches a boil, add it to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Add buttermilk, then baking soda, then eggs, then vanilla in that order, mixing in between each addition. Stir in apples
3. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch cake pan.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool for about 10-15 minutes.
5. While cake is cooling, make frosting by combining brown sugar, butter, milk, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir well and turn heat down so mixture boils gently. Cook for 7 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and let cool for 5 minutes.
6. Beat the icing with a wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes to thicken. Pour icing over the entire warm cake.
7. Let the cake cool completely before slicing into squares. (Or just dig right in - it just won't come out as pretty!)
8. Enjoy and share!

Because this is a thin sheet cake, it is perfect for slicing up and sharing with friends. Lucky for me, I had a last-minute need for a babysitter while I went to the dentist last week and this was the perfect "thank you" treat. 

This is super easy to make so I hope you will give it a try!