April's Fool

It's April, folks. This excites and terrifies me at the same time. I get all excited thinking about summer, but then this feeling of dread creeps up when I start to think about all the stuff I need to get done in this month. And I start to hyperventilate, freak out and reach for the brown, paper bag. "And breath, 1,2,3..."

I can honestly say that April will own me, if not kill me. Ugh. Please, please, please, keep me (& my sanity) in your thoughts and prayers, as I tackle this monster of a month. Things will most likely be quiet around here for the next couple of weeks, but I'll try to post as much as I possibly can!

Here's a treat I made for a friend this past weekend. Let's talk Girl Scout cookies. My favorite is the peanut butter patty or "Tag-a-long" which I will forever call it. But the favorite of almost every person I know is the Thin Mint.


Mint and chocolate really ain't my thing. I really don't dig Peppermint Patties, those mints from the Olive Garden and I just don't get the hoopla over mint chocolate chip ice cream. Call me crazy, but whatev. However, when I saw a recipe for Thin Mint truffles, I knew I must experiment. Exactly like the Oreo truffles, but the Oreos are replaced with Thin Mints. And I knew I would have no trouble getting my friend to let me "borrow" a box of her coveted Thin Mints.

I totally used way too much cream cheese. Thankfully some elves came to my rescue.

Thin Mint Truffles
adapted by Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

1 pkg. Thin Mints (if you slacked off this year and did not support your local girl scouts, the Keebler Grasshopper cookies will do just fine, but shame on you! ;) )
1/2 block of cream cheese, softened (about 4 oz.)
White chocolate, milk chocolate or dark chocolate almond bark

Crush Thin Mints till very fine. You can do this by using a ziploc bag and rolling pin or food processor. (Or do what I did and put the cookies between two sheets of wax paper and just start rolling!) Once crushed, pour into large bowl and add cream cheese. Using your hands, incorporate the cream cheese into the cookie crumbs until the cream cheese is no longer visible.
Roll into balls, place on wax covered cookie sheets and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Melt chocolate as directed on package and then dip balls into chocolate, tap off extra and set aside on wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry. (You can decorate them with sprinkles before this step or extra chocolate after they have dried.)

An Anniversary Dinner

Check out these crazy kids. Meet Poppa B. and Momma B. They kind of like each other if you couldn't tell. And check out the cake! My first ever attempt at a homemade buttercream icing. This was three years ago when they celebrated 25 years of martial bliss. My Grandpa Jack renewed their wedding vows right in our living room, my siblings and I were witnesses and I cried my eyes out. It was truly one of the most beautiful things I've ever had the opportunity to experience. Ok, I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic...and a sap.

Their 28th came this last December and I wanted to make a special dinner for them while I was home over break. Here's what my siblings and I did...

Entree:
Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Onions and Pineapple

(One of my bro's signature dishes)

Let me tell you, I'm not a big fan of the "other white meat,"

but I'd eat this everyday if I could. Sooo good.

Side dish:
Whipped Sweet Potato Casserole

Bread:
Homemade Dinner Rolls

Super easy to make, hardly any prep time needed.

And delicious.

Dessert:
Flourless Chocolate Cake


Seriously, what do I have to say?

Mmm....

Love you, Mom and Dad.

How to Impress with Five Ingredients or Less

Ok, so, you've got to prepare a nice dinner and you need to leave a good impression. However, you've never cooked a day in your life and mac 'n cheese from the microwave doesn't count. You're getting anxious, nervous, time is ticking. What do you do? What if I told you that you could prepare an appetizer and dessert with a total of five ingredients or less? And that both are super easy to make? Now, we're breathing a little bit easier. As for the entree, I can't help you on that, but that boxed Stouffer's lasagna can pass as homemade.

Here's the line-up for the appetizer: two ingredients. BAM.

Puff-pastry wrapped brie. And here's how you do it. Lay out one sheet of the puff pastry, after it has thawed, onto a lightly floured surface.

Place brie in the center of the sheet.

Bring corners into the center, pressing down.


Trim the excess pastry off and press the seams to seal. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Whisk together 1 egg and 1 tbsp. of water. Decorate top with excess pastry, if desired.


Then brush with egg mixture.


Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Let stand 20 minutes before serving. Serve with toasted baguette pieces and apple slices. And if you want to knock up the fancy factor, add a walnut, brown sugar, cinnamon mixture on the top before bringing the corners up.


And now for dessert. Cut puff pastry sheet into three strips. Cut the strips into three squares. Place a piece of chocolate towards one of the corners of the puff pastry.


Fold opposite end over the chocolate.


Like so...


With fork, pinch sides shut.




You can also use that walnut, brown sugar, cinnamon mixture as a filling.


Brush with egg mixture (whisked egg and water). Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Very impressive! ;)

12 Days of Christmas Cookies! Day 7

I cannot believe Christmas is just days away. Where did the time go? I have yet to pack to go home tomorrow and have not done a lick of Christmas shopping. Go me. One of the two, or hopefully both, has to happen today. Today's cookie is technically not a "cookie," BUT it involves cookies, so yes, it's kind of a "cookie." I'm talking about Oreo Truffles or Balls, but that makes me giggle, so Truffles it is.


They have become quite popular (thanks to the awesome skills of the talented Bakerella) the last few years as well as their partner, Cake Pops or Balls. (Giggling to myself.) They're perfect for Christmas parties, gifting and a fun activity with the kiddos.
Today's song is the Heat Miser song from The Year Without a Santa Claus. I LOVE this stinkin' movie. And you will most definitely be hearing from his brother, Snow Miser, later. ;)


Oreo Truffles
adapted from Bakerella

1 pkg. Oreo cookies
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
white chocolate bark (almond bark)

Finely crush 7 cookies (get out all that built up anger). Reserve for later. Crush remaining cookies (more anger releasing!) and stir in softened cream cheese. Use the back of a large spoon to mash the two together. (I use my hands, much easier.)
Roll the mixture into 1 inch balls and place on wax covered cookie sheet.
Melt chocolate as directed on package and then dip balls into chocolate, tap off extra and set aside on wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry. (Dip them again, for a cleaner finish.) You can sprinkle the tops with the reserved Oreo crumbs or decorate with melted chocolate once dry.

Like so...

Dry and refrigerate. And enjoy! :)

12 Days of Christmas Cookies! Day 6 (and a Rock Chalk win!)

ROOOCCCKKKK CHHAALLKK, JAAYYYHHAAWWKKK!!! Go, KU!!

Holy heck! Did you see that game this afternoon?! My friend scored tickets at the last minute and I'm sooo glad she did. Great game, boys. I only almost passed out a few times and the adrenaline was pumping throughout the whole field house. Such a close game, but the home-game winning streak continues!


I could go on and on, but lets get to the cookies. Day 6 brings you Red Velvet Black and White cookies. Red velvet is seriously one of my favorite things ever. Not only are they gorgeous, but equally delicious and flippin' huge. They will be a hit wherever you take them.


Christmas tune for the day is Weezer with O Holy Night. Yes, Weezer. Yes, a Christmas album. Yes, I did buy it.


Red Velvet Black and White Cookies
adapted from Joy the Baker
makes 10 LARGE cookies

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
5 tbsp. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp. red food coloring
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or grease and flour the sheet well, so cookies do not stick. In medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
Using mixer, mix 5 tbsp. butter with granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, food coloring and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk until smooth.
Place 1/4 c. of batter 2 inches apart on baking sheet, spread batter out with butter knife, so they are not completely flat. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 12-15 minutes. Let the cookies sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Glazes


Vanilla glaze
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-3 tbsp. hot water

In bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla, corn syrup and hot water, until smooth.

Chocolate glaze
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
3 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. light corn syrup

In bowl, melt butter and chocolate in microwave for 1 minute. Add corn syrup and stir, until smooth.

Then glaze those red babies!

Told ya, they were big.

Trifle Crushes

Celebrity crushes. You've got 'em. I've got 'em. We've all got 'em. I can still remember my first celeb crush, I crushed on. Remember Randy from Home Improvement? (A.K.A. Jonathan Taylor Thomas) How could anyone forget those gorgeous eyes??? I was in love with J.T.T. at the age of 8. I even had a giant poster of him hanging on my bedroom wall. My brother found it, oh so hilarious, to take it down and hide it. I found nothing funny about this. Nothing, Nate.

Middle school brought my love for Josh Hartnett or as I affectionately called him Josh "Hotnett." You like that, don't lie. My middle school locker was covered, top to bottom, with his beautiful face and brooding eyes. This may be the most handsome man on earth.

My crush on Josh carried over into the beginning of high school, but then I moved into the sports realm. Meet Christian Moody, a walk-on for the KU Jayhawks basketball team from 2002-2006. I actually got to meet him after a game and when I did I was obsessed. I was crushing. I followed him relentlessly over the next few basketball seasons. I watched every KU game, praying he'd eventually get in, read every newspaper article and even made a sign for him when I attended a game. I was a "Moody Maniac."

Now I'm in college and most of my celebrity crushes center around musicians. Many musicians. Sooo many. There's Matt, Sufjan, Dan and Patrick, Mat, Joshua, Sondre, Dave, and so on and so forth. Lately I've totally been infatuated with Chris Chu from The Morning Benders. Actually, I think it's his beautiful voice more than anything, but dang, it totally makes me swoon.
Chris seems like a guy who likes sweets. I make sweets. He makes music. I love to listen to music. It's a win-win. I really think this would totally work. I'd make him this trifle and he would serenade me and life would be quite grand.

This trifle is one of the most requested desserts in my family. My mom came across this on the Internet and put her own spin on it. The result=freakin' delish. Chocolate pudding, hot fudge, Oreos....oh, dear Lord.


Ultimate Chocolate Trifle
adapted from allrecipes

1 pkg. brownie mix, prepared
1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 c. water
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (12 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 pkg. Oreos, crushed
1 jar hot fudge topping

Prepare brownie mix as directed on package. Set aside and cool completely.

In large bowl, mix pudding, 1/2 cup of water and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth. Then fold in 8 oz. whipped topping.

Fold until no streaks appear.

Cut brownies into 1 inch squares and layer bottom of trifle dish or glass bowl.
Layer crushed Oreos and hot fudge.
Next, layer pudding mixture.
Consume a few cookies during the process, cause you'll get hungry.
Nom-nom.
Then layer with whipped topping.
Repeat layers.
Garnish with leftover Oreos and hot fudge.
Then dig the heck in.