Home Maid Simple

Category: Desserts

  • Grandma’s Danish Sugar Cookies

    Grandma’s Danish Sugar Cookies

    I received a copy of A Cookie to Celebrate by Jana Douglass for review. All opinions are my own. Grandma’s Danish Sugar Cookies is a family recipe passed down the generations.

    Grandma's Danish Sugar Cookies is a family recipe passed from one generation to the next, and loved by friends too!

    Family recipes. We cherish those meals passed down from generation to generation. The secret sauce, special ingredient, and particular ways to handle the food were written with love for a family that has continued to grow.

    Unfortunately, I don’t have very many of these recipes. My grandmothers were both fantastic cooks, but recipes were not written down and shared too often.

    Danish Sugar Cookies passed on from my great grandmother.

    So a little over a year ago, my childhood BFF reached out and asked for my mom’s sugar cookies recipe. She claimed them to be the best she’s ever had, and wanted to make them with her children for the holidays. Not remembering the days of cookie baking myself, I didn’t have the recipe.

    A quick call (just kidding, calls with my mom are never quick) and I had the recipe written down along with it’s history. The sugar cookie recipe my mom always used came from her grandmother, my great grandmother and was for Danish Sugar Cookies. I had no idea, but it’s only made these cookies even sweeter.

    Family recipes are such a treasure. These Danish Sugar Cookies were handed down from one generation to the next.

    My friend received the recipe, made them with her kids, and let me know they were just like she remembered. I was glad I could help bring those good memories back into her family.

    It took me a year, but I finally decided it was high time I make these cookies. Even if sugar cookies aren’t my favorite, I would still have fun making and then decorating them.

    Learn to decorate these danish sugar cookies with Jana Douglass.

    Thanks to A Cookie To Celebrate by Jana Douglass, I felt confident in my ability to decorate these cookies. They deserved to look as special as their history, and it helped me learn a new skill!

    If you’ve wanted to learn cookie decorating, but feel overwhelmed with online tips and How-to’s I would highly suggest Jana’s book. It’s straight forward, funny, and feels like your best friend is walking you through each step.

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     Grandma’s Danish Sugar Cookies Yum
    Grandma's Danish Sugar Cookies is a family recipe passed down from generation to generation.
    Servings
    Ingredients
    Servings
    Ingredients
    Grandma's Danish Sugar Cookies is a family recipe passed down from generation to generation.
    Instructions
    1. In a small bowl combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
    2. In a separate bowl combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
    3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together. The dough gets stiff, so you’ll have to use your hands to fully mix it.
    4. Divide the dough in two. Wrap each section in saran wrap and chill for at least 1 hour, but up to 1 week.
    5. Preheat the oven to 330°. Grease cookie sheets.
    6. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookies cutters.
    7. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
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    Print Recipe
     Grandma’s Danish Sugar Cookies Yum
    Grandma's Danish Sugar Cookies is a family recipe passed down from generation to generation.
    Servings
    Ingredients
    Servings
    Ingredients
    Grandma's Danish Sugar Cookies is a family recipe passed down from generation to generation.
    Instructions
    1. In a small bowl combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
    2. In a separate bowl combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
    3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together. The dough gets stiff, so you’ll have to use your hands to fully mix it.
    4. Divide the dough in two. Wrap each section in saran wrap and chill for at least 1 hour, but up to 1 week.
    5. Preheat the oven to 330°. Grease cookie sheets.
    6. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookies cutters.
    7. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
    Share this Recipe
  • Coconut Poke Cake

    Coconut Poke Cake

    Searching for the perfect dessert for your lunch or dinner party? Our delightful Coconut Poke Cake is here to save the day.

    Make this deliciously easy coconut poke cake for dinner guests

    If you’re not sure what a poke cake is, it is, quite literally, a cake you poke holes into. Once you do this, you can pour in any filling of your choice. It can be a chocolate sauce, strawberry cream, or simply condensed milk. This step won’t take more than 5 minutes and it guarantees that every bite will be rich with flavor.

    Make this deliciously easy coconut poke cake for dinner guests

    Sounds good, right? Here’s what you’ll need for Coconut Poke Cake:

    Coconut Poke Cake
    Chocolate cake, caramel sauce, and a cream cheese topping all flavored with coconut for a delightfully easy dessert.
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    Cake
    1. 3 eggs
    2. 200 ml coconut milk
    3. 50 g melted dark chocolate
    4. 125 g butter (room temperature)
    5. 150 g brown sugar
    6. 130 g all-purpose flour
    7. 3 tbsp cocoa powder
    8. 2 tsp baking soda
    9. 40 g desiccated coconut
    Caramel
    1. 400 ml sweetened condensed milk
    2. 50 g butter
    3. 1/4 tsp salt
    Coconut Cream Cheese
    1. 350 g cream cheese
    2. 50 g butter
    3. 50 ml maple syrup
    4. 5 tbsp of thick coconut milk
    5. 30 g desiccated coconut
    6. Roasted coconut to garnish
    Instructions
    1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit).
    2. Begin with the cake base. Crack the eggs into a bowl and mix in the coconut milk, dark chocolate, butter, and sugar.
    3. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and desiccated coconut.
    4. Combine the dry ingredient mixture with the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
    5. Bake for around 20-30 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on it, especially after the 20-minute mark. To check if done, perform the toothpick test.
    6. Poke holes all over the cake using a straw.
    7. Prepare the caramel filling. In a pan, heat the butter and wait for it to melt. Once melted, pour in the condensed milk.
    8. Over medium heat, let it simmer for approximately 15 minutes. Keep stirring until it thickens and resembles the golden brown color of caramel.
    9. Turn the heat off and slowly pour the caramel into the holes. Set the cake aside to cool for about an hour.
    10. Prepare the cream cheese. In a bowl, combine all the cream cheese ingredients and keep in the fridge to cool for half an hour.
    11. Slather the cream cheese generously over the cake.
    12. Garnish the cake with roasted golden coconut bits.
    13. Cut out a slice and enjoy!
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/
    Author Bio: Callum is the head of content at Cheese Curds. They are an Australian based dairy product manufacturer that specialise in the B2B market. When he is not creating content online, he’s in the kitchen experimenting with different flavours and food combinations.

    Make this deliciously easy coconut poke cake for dinner guests


  • All-In-One-Guide to Cake Decorating: A Summer fun Activity for Kids

    All-In-One-Guide to Cake Decorating: A Summer fun Activity for Kids

    There are a plethora of things for our kids to do outside during the summer, but when the heat becomes unbearable we must find indoor activities that keep our sanity together. I received a copy of Cake Decorating for review. All thoughts are my own. 

    Summer heat has you stuck inside? Try a little cake decorating with the kids to use their creative minds in an edible way. My kids love spending time in the kitchen with me. This year has been especially fun as I’ve let them branch out more on their own. I will of course check on them, and require that they get permission to use the stove and oven, but they’ve made cookies without my help, Lemonade, Mac n’Cheese, and ramen. 

    You may also enjoy these posts:
    Summer Celebration Cake
    Spring Cupcakes with Strawberry Curd
    Chocolate Covered Strawberry Rhubarb Bundt Cake

    When we got the All-In-One Guide to Cake Decorating by Janice Murfitt, they couldn’t stop browsing through the pages. The gorgeous photos of finished cakes, and the easy to follow step by step photos had cake decorating on their mind. Suddenly they requests for birthday cakes became much more elaborate. 

    Summer heat has you stuck inside? Try a little cake decorating with the kids to use their creative minds in an edible way. As the weather began to really heat up, I thought a fun activity would be to make some petit four cakes and let the kids play with fondant. I had hopes it would keep them both distracted and using the creative sides of their brain. I mean it’s basically like play-doh right? We just get to eat it at the end. 

    Now, the back of the book does have recipes for different types of frosting – marzipan, fondant, royal icing – but I thought it would be best to start with store bought fondant for our first go around. I found a tub of red and pink fondant on sale at Walmart, so that’s what we used.

    Summer heat has you stuck inside? Try a little cake decorating with the kids to use their creative minds in an edible way. To make the petit-fours I baked up a sheet cake. Cut it into 1″x1″ squares and then froze them. Frozen cakes are less crumbly to work with, and doesn’t affect the finished flavor or texture of the cake. 

    It totally worked! The kids spent days upon days playing with the fondant. Making little shapes to top their little cakes, and sometimes just making scenes of fondant on a plate. Some of the kids found they loved fondant and would eat it without cake, others just enjoyed the creative process of decorating a cake.


  • Book Club: The Rent Collector by Camron Wright + Banana Slice Bar Recipe

    Book Club: The Rent Collector by Camron Wright + Banana Slice Bar Recipe

    If you haven’t had a chance to read The Rent Collector by Camron Wright yet, put it on your list!

    The Rent Collector by Camron Wright I thought it would be fun this year if I shared a book every month that I’m reading with my local book club. If you happen to be local and want a good book club to join, let me know! I’m a bit late getting started, but you all don’t mind overlapping some books each month right? 

    In January I hosted our club. We were discussing The Rent Collector by Camron Wright. This is a book I highly encourage everyone to read! It was my first taste of author Camron Wright, and I got hooked. Shortly after reading this one, I borrowed The Orphan Keeper because I needed more of this type of storytelling. 

    Storytelling. The finest kind is what you will find when reading The Rent Collector. Camron Wright based The Rent Collector off a documentary his son filmed called River of Victory. The book takes the real struggles and story of the family in this documentary and fictionalizes them just enough to fill in gaps and do what a good story does – grab at our emotions and pull us in. 

     The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

    Survival for Ki Lim and Sang Ly is a daily battle at Stung Meanchey, the largest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia. They make their living scavenging recyclables from the trash. Life would be hard enough without the worry for their chronically ill child, Nisay, and the added expense of medicines that are not working.

    Just when things seem worst, Sang Ly learns a secret about the ill-tempered rent collector who comes demanding money – a secret that sets in motion a tide that will change the life of everyone it sweeps past. The Rent Collector is a story of hope, of one womans journey to save her son and another womans chance at redemption. It demonstrates that even in a dump in Cambodia – perhaps especially in a dump in Cambodia – everyone deserves a second chance. 

    The Rent Collector by Camron Wright and Banana Slice Bars. Since I was hosting Book Club, I had to have a snack to share. I recalled that I had a Cambodian Cookbook – not sure why I have one – and started browsing through that. This recipe for Banana Slice was the perfect sharable treat, and they served well with Coconut Ice Cream. 

    Along with the bars and ice cream, I whipped up a mango pineapple drink – diced mango and pineapple blended well. Add a bit of Stevia and lots of water. 

    We had a pretty nice evening discussing different aspects of the book. The characters, and what was real verse fiction. Since I had read the book on my phone – thank you Hoopla – I missed out on seeing photos of the family. Luckily one lady had brought her copy and I got to connect even more with this family through their photos. 

    Banana Slice
    Taste Cambodia while discussing The Rent Collector at your next book club.
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    Ingredients
    1. 3 bananas, mushed
    2. 2 eggs
    3. 3/4 cup rice flour*
    4. 3/4 cup brown sugar
    5. 1 cup coconut milk
    6. pinch of salt
    7. 2 egg yolks
    Instructions
    1. Preheat the oven to 350F
    2. Mix the rice flour with the bananas.
    3. Mix in the brown sugar
    4. Add coconut milk and whole eggs. Stir until well combined.
    5. Pour into a 9×13 baking pan.
    6. Bake for 10 minutes.
    7. Whip the egg yolks. Brush on top of the bars.
    8. Bake for another 10 minutes.
    9. Let cool.
    Notes
    1. *I used a gluten free flour from Pillsbury. It is partially made with rice flour.
    Adapted from Nyum Bai!
    Adapted from Nyum Bai!
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/
    The above recipe came from the book Nyum Bai! If you would like to purchase a copy to enjoy more Cambodian foods, consider purchasing from the Green Gecko Project as they put all the proceeds back into helping kids get off the streets in Cambodia. 

    Now this is a book club, so I feel the need to ask a question. If you have read the book, I’d love to know your thoughts 

    Do you think Sopeap was looking for redemption? Or did it just fall in her lap?

    Next book discussion will be When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

  • Cinnamon Apple Beignets with Caramel Sauce

    Cinnamon Apple Beignets with Caramel Sauce

    The product, information, recipe for Cinnamon Apple Beignets and gift card have been provided by In The Raw® so that I could try the product and share my thoughts and information about Stevia In The ® Bakers Bag. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions of In The Raw®

    Fall has arrived! With it comes all things apples. This recipe for Cinnamon Apple Beignets with Caramel Sauce is the perfect addition to your fall bucket list. 

    Cinnamon Apple Beignets with Caramel Sauce is all that it says and more. ad I don’t think I can adequately describe the deliciousness of these Cinnamon Apple Beignets with Caramel Sauce. During the fall months is there anything better than the pairing of apples with caramel? I think not. 

    Just last week I was at the school helping out during Kindergarten’s Apple Day. The kids got to taste a bunch of different apple products – apple slices, applesauce, apple juice, and apple Jacks. I got to be in charge of the tasting station. While the kids enjoyed their snack we delved into the depths of how awesome apples are. I took a mental note of which apple seemed to be favored as I asked each group which color apple they enjoyed most. 

    Would you believe Granny Smith’s were by far the top favorite, while Red Delicious ranked lowest? Kids. 

    Cinnamon Apple Beignets with Caramel Sauce bring all the flavors of fall together. ad

    Anywho, Stevia In The Raw® sent me this recipe for Cinnamon Apple Beignets and I jumped at the chance to make it. Ever since Princess and the Frog came out, I’ve been searching for a good beignet recipe I can make at home. The plus with this recipe is that because it uses Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag in place of some of the sugar, it cuts a good number of the calories out. It’s my favorite sweetener to use these days. 

    The instructions seemed a bit intimidating at first since it’s all made on the stove and in a fryer, but please don’t let that stop you from making them. As the flavors combine over the heat your house will fill with the scent of cinnamon and apples. I got to share the first batch with this cute girl, and I’m so glad I did. 

    I was showered with compliments of “I like this“, “Can I have another one“, and “These are my favorites“. Awe. She was even sweet enough to let me take her photo (and her mom said I could too). Although I did try to sneak the camera on her to truly capture her joy over these cinnamon apple beignets, she caught me. 

    The tongue says it all. These Cinnamon Apple Beignets are delicious! ad Doesn’t that tongue just say it all? She was so fun to hang out with and made my cooking efforts feel worth it that I’m headed back to the kitchen today to whip up another batch and hand deliver to her tonight. 

    Cinnamon Apple Beignets with Caramel Apple Sauce

    You’ll notice this recipe still includes some sugar. This is because sugar is required for browning, rising, and caramelizing. Stevia In The Raw® can replace sugar cup for cup, but it’s suggested to only exchange 1/2 your sugar with Stevia when baking. You’ll never notice the missing sugar, as Stevia is a natural sweetener extracted from the leaves of the Stevia plant. 

    Cinnamon Apple Beignets with Caramel Apple Sauce
    Fill your home with the scents and flavors of fall with these warm apple beignets drizzled with caramel sauce.
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    Ingredients
    1. 1/2 cup 2% Milk
    2. 1/2 cup PLUS 1/3 cup Apple Cider
    3. 1 stick Butter
    4. 1/4 cup PLUS 1 TBS Stevia In The Raw®, divided
    5. 1 tsp Sea Salt, divided
    6. 1 cup Flour
    7. 1 tsp Cinnamon
    8. 4 eggs
    9. 1 Granny Smith Apple, cored and finely diced
    10. 1/2 cup Sugar
    11. 1/4 cup Water
    12. 1 tsp Vanilla
    13. 4 Cups Vegetable Oil
    14. Powdered Sugar
    Instructions
    1. In a medium sauce pan bring the milk, 1/2 cup apple cider, butter, 1 tablespoon Stevia, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil.
    2. Immediately add flour and cinnamon and stir vigorously until the mixture comes together, and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
    3. Remove from the heat and transfer the dough to a mixing bowl.
    4. Let cool for 10 minutes, periodically stirring.
    5. Add eggs, 1 at a time. Mix between each egg until it’s fully incorporated. The dough should be smooth and shiny.
    6. Mix in apples.
    7. Set aside.
    8. *In a small saucepan combine sugar, 1/4 cup Stevia, and 1/4 cup water.
    9. Cook over medium high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
    10. Increase the heat to high and cook until it forms a deep amber color. Periodically swirl the pan to avoid burning.
    11. Remove from heat and slowly add 1/3 cup Apple Cider, while stirring. If sauce is too runny, return to heat and simmer until thickened to a syrup.
    12. Stir in Vanilla and 1/2 tsp salt.
    13. Set aside.
    14. Heat Vegetable Oil in a deep fryer, or large skillet to 365 F.
    15. Drop tablespoons of dough into hot oil.
    16. Cook until golden all over.
    17. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
    18. Drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
    Notes
    1. *Do not stir caramel with anything plastic or rubber. If you stir it instead of swirling, stick with a wooder spoon or metal wire whisk.
    Adapted from Stevia In The Raw®
    Adapted from Stevia In The Raw®
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/

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    Do you love baking but want fewer calories? Try Stevia In The Raw® in your next recipe. One lucky winner will receive a $25 Gift Card and Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag. Open to US 18+ ends 10/20/17

     

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  • Personal Nocciolata Cheesecakes with Rigoni Di Asiago

    Personal Nocciolata Cheesecakes with Rigoni Di Asiago

    Hide these Nocciolata Cheesecakes in the back of your fridge for a special treat on days when nothing but a little chocolate and cheesecake will satisfy. I received Nocciolata from Rigoni di Asiago in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated when you click on and purchase through them. 

    Personal Nocciolata Cheesecakes featuring the flavors of Lemon, Hazelnut, and Raspberry. Perfect size for a quick satisfaction. ad

    I have fallen in love with Rigoni Di Asiago this year. Their Nocciolata hazelnut spread and Fiordifruitta jams are incredibly delicious, so  I had to use it again in my favorite dessert – cheesecake.

    You may also like Neapolitan Crepes with Nocciolata

    As I was dreaming of a cheesecake covered in Nocciolata I thought wouldn’t it be nice to spread this out some more? Enjoy it more than just once, and in more managed portion sizes. It didn’t take much to move from there to serving these Nocciolata Cheesecakes up in mason jars. I mean aren’t we using mason jars for everything these days?

    Personal Nocciolata Cheesecakes combine flavors of a Hazelnut Cocoa spread, Lemon, and Raspberries in a perfectly portioned sizes. ad

    Nocciolata now has a Dairy Free spread for those who for one reason or another can’t have milk. I’m pretty excited about this since Lincoln’s allergy test came back showing milk as a possible culprit, but not hazelnuts. It means he can still enjoy some of this spread on a special treat now and again. Of course not this cheesecake, because it’s all mine and it’s not a dairy free dessert.

    Nocciolata Dairy Free is so good it won the 2017 SOFI Award for Best New Product. The SOFI awards are given out to members of the Specialty Food Association to recognize outstanding work in advancing culinary excellence worldwide. It’s pretty cool actually and has me wanting to look into more of the winning entries this year. 

    Personal Nocciolata Cheesecakes featuring the flavors of Lemon, Hazelnut, and Raspberry. Perfect size for a quick satisfaction. ad

    Let’s get to the recipe already right? I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. The lemon cheesecake, with layers of chocolatey hazelnuts, topped with a raspberry is one of the more distinct yet simple flavor combinations I have ever created. It was pure indulgence on a spoon with every single bite. 

    Personal Nocciolata Cheesecakes

    Personal Nocciolata Cheesecakes
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    Ingredients
    1. 11/2 cups Vanilla Wafers, crushed
    2. 3 TBS Butter, melted
    3. 1 cup heavy whipping cream
    4. 8oz Cream Cheese
    5. 1 tsp Lemon Juice
    6. 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
    7. 1/4 cup Sugar
    8. Nocciolata Hazelnut and Cocoa Spread
    9. 6 pint mason jars
    Instructions
    1. Combine the crushed wafers with the melted butter.
    2. Press 1/4 cup of the mixture into the bottom of each mason jar.
    3. In a medium bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside
    4. In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese, lemon, vanilla, and sugar until well blended.
    5. Fold in the whipping cream.
    6. Drop a spoonful of Nocciolata on top of the crushed wafers in each jar. Top with a spoonful or 2 of Cream Cheese mixture. Top with another spoonful of Nocciolata.
    7. Garnish with a single raspberry.
    8. Chill for 12-24 hours.
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/
    You may be thinking that I’m selfish for keeping these to myself, but I promise I did share with my sister in law. Us moms have to stick together with back to school craziness. Who would you share these personal Noccioalata Cheesecakes with?

  • Summer Celebration Cake + WIN A Stevia in the Raw®Bakers Bag and $25 Visa Gift Card

    Summer Celebration Cake + WIN A Stevia in the Raw®Bakers Bag and $25 Visa Gift Card

    Summer is a time for celebrating. Make this Summer Celebration Cake from Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag for a low calorie, low sugar dessert option. This post is sponsored. I received compensation in the form of product and a gift card. All opinions are my own.
    Give this Summer Celebration Cake a try at your next party. Low Calori and Low Sugar! AD  

    Summer is a time of parties and vacation, and backyard get-togethers full of food and fun. It’s easy to eat your fill of sugary desserts and drinks. I know I tend to eat a lot more ice cream during the warmer months. It’s easier to lose track of health goals, in favor of “just one more dessert.”

    Thanks to Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag we can now enjoy our desserts with less sugar and calories. Extracted from the sweet leaves of the Stevia plant, Stevia In The Raw® is a no-calorie sweetener that measures cup for cup with sugar, with no measuring conversion needed. That means Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag is formulated so that 1 cup of Stevia In the Raw® equals the same sweetness as 1 cup of sugar.

    Now, sugar does a great job at helping baked goods rise and brown, so In The Raw® suggests only replacing half the sugar with its Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag. So, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, you would swap out 1/2 cup of sugar for 1/2 cup Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag. When making this cake, there is still some sugar, but the Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag helps reduce the calories and cuts the sugar in half. I love that!

    Celebrate with this Celebration Cake from Stevia In The Raw® When I first looked over this Celebration Cake recipe I was a little skeptical. I’m used to using Ricotta Cheese in lasagna and stuffed shells – never anything sweet. It had to be worth the try, though, because it looked so beautiful. 

    Celebration Cake is the perfect low calorie low sugar summer option. AD

    Now to be completely fair, this cake got a lot of mixed reactions. Our 2 pickiest eaters ate their whole slice and were begging for more. Some kids weren’t a fan of the filling, while others loved the filling but didn’t care so much for the cake part of this Celebration Cake. Of course, everyone loved the berries and those were picked clean. 

    Unfortunately for some, the cake was completely off limits due to a nut allergy with the addition of almonds. For him, I set aside a bowl of the filling and made some Mango Lemonade. The great thing about it was I could also use the Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag in the Lemonade too. Once a drink full of sugar and empty calories became a delightfully sweet drink of fruit juice and water. Since Lemonade doesn’t need any baking I was able to replace all of the sugar with Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag. Does life get any better than that?

    Celebration Cake
    Serves 16
    Low Calorie Low Sugar option for summer get togethers
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    Prep Time
    1 hr 20 min
    Cook Time
    40 min
    Total Time
    2 min
    Prep Time
    1 hr 20 min
    Cook Time
    40 min
    Total Time
    2 min
    For Cake
    1. 6 eggs, seperated
    2. 1/2 tsp Salt
    3. 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
    4. 2/3 cup Sugar, divided
    5. 2 tsp Vanilla extract
    6. 1/3 cup Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag
    7. 1 cup finely ground Almonds
    8. 1/2 cup cake flour
    9. 2 tsp cornstarch
    For Filling
    1. 30oz part skimmed Ricotta
    2. 3 tsp Vanilla Extract, divided
    3. 2/3 cup 1% Milk
    4. 1/3 cup Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag, divided
    5. 2 1/2 pints Blueberries, divided
    6. 1/2 pint Whipping Cream
    7. Blackberries for garnish
    8. Strawberries for garnish
    For Cake
    1. Preheat oven to 350° F
    2. Spray the inside of a tube pan with cooking spray.
    3. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form.
    4. Gradually add 1/3 cup of sugar until stiff and shiny. Set aside.
    5. In a large mixing bowl beat egg yolks and remaining sugar until thick and lemon colored.
    6. Add vanilla and Stevia In The Raw®. Beat 1 minute until blended.
    7. Combine the ground almonds, cake flour and cornstarch in a bowl and blend well.
    8. Gently stir flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture.
    9. Add egg white mixture. Stir gently until combined.
    10. Pour batter into your tube pan.
    11. Bake 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
    12. Invert pan onto wire rack for about 30 minutes or until cake is cool.
    13. Loosen cake from pan.
    For Filling and Topping
    1. In a medium bowl combine the Ricotta cheese, milk, 1/4 cup Stevia In The Raw® and 2 tsp Vanilla.
    2. Fold 2 pints of blueberries into the mixture.
    3. Divide the cake into 3 layers.
    4. Evenly spread the blueberry mixture between each layer.
    5. In another mixing bowl, combine whipping cream, 1 tsp vanilla, and remaining Stevia In the Raw®.
    6. Whip until stiff peaks form.
    7. Spread a layer of cream across the top of the cake.
    8. Trim the cake with remaining berries.
    Adapted from Stevia In The Raw®
    Adapted from Stevia In The Raw®
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/
    Summer Celebration Cake is a low calorie low sugar option for your summer parties. AD

     One lucky reader will win a Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag and $25 Visa Gift Card. Enter on the form below. Open to US readers 18+ Ends 7/10/17

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  • Sugar Cookie Ice Cream Bowls Recipe

    Sugar Cookie Ice Cream Bowls Recipe

    This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SoHoppinGood #BlueBunny #BombPop #CollectiveBias

    This summer beat the heat and satisfy your sweet tooth with these Sugar Cookie Ice Cream Bowls. 

    Beat the summer heat with Sugar Cookie Ice Cream Bowls. ad#SoHoppinGood #BlueBunny #BombPop

    I love ice cream! We eat it year round, but especially when the summer months hit and the kids are home from school. I was really excited and inspired when Blue Bunny® came out with some new flavors to create these Sugar Cookie Ice Cream Bowls. Found in Walmart stores across the nation, these new flavors have taken classic flavors and given them a unique twist. 

    Find new Blue Bunny® Ice Cream flavors in Walmart's nationwide. ad

    The Blue Bunny® Monster Cookie Mash was my inspiration for this particular Sugar Cookie Bowl, but with the right combination of toppings, you could make any of the new flavors into a summertime creation of fun!

    Blue Buny® Monster Cookie Mash ice cream in Sugar Cooke Ice Cream Bowls. ad For the Monster Cookie Mash, I picked up some chocolate covered candies, chocolate covered raisins, and oatmeal cookies. Have you ever had a monster cookie? It’s basically the end all to all cookies. Peanut butter, oatmeal, raisins, and chocolate all wrapped up into a beautiful cookie. Blue Bunny® took that cookie and mixed it up in some peanut butter ice cream and swirled it with fudge.

    I took that ice cream, paired it with some of the same Monster Cookie components, and served it up in a delicious Sugar Cookie Bowl. Now you can too, because these bowls are incredible easy to make. They are also extremely fun to eat. 

    Monster Cookie Mash served up in a Sugar Cookie Ice Cream Bowl. ad

    Sugar Cookie Ice Cream Bowls Recipe

    You can easily turn this into a whole family activity with an ice cream bar. Let everyone choose their favorite classic scoop to enjoy out of their sugar cookie bowl, with whatever toppings meet their fancy. I see many good nights in our future as we try out the different flavors, and discover which toppings taste best with which ice cream.

    Sugar Cookie Ice Cream Bowls
    Serve up new Blue Bunny® ice cream flavors in a sugar cookie ice cream bowl. Way better than a waffle cone!
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    Ingredients
    1. 1 Cup Butter
    2. 1 Cup Sugar
    3. 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
    4. 1 egg
    5. 2 tsp Baking Powder
    6. 3 Cups Flour
    7. Blue Bunny® Ice Cream
    8. Ice Cream Toppings – optional
    Instructions
    1. Cream together butter and sugar.
    2. Add vanilla and egg. Beat until well mixed.
    3. In a medium bowl mix together flour and baking powder.
    4. Combine the dry mix with the wet mixture. Beat until well combined, and dough is slightly crumbly.
    5. Form into a ball.
    6. Roll dough out on a floured surface.
    7. Cut circles about 4-inches in diameter.
    8. Press into 12 muffin tins.
    9. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, or until lightly brown around the edges.
    10. Cool in tin, before removing to a wire rack.
    11. Fill Sugar Cookie Bowls with Blue Bunny® Ice Cream.
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/
    Let’s bring the classic summer back and toss those lists of things to do every day with our kids, and just let the kids be kids. Give them some ice cream, or another of our favorites, the Original Bomb Pop®. 

    Have a Classic Summer with Blue Bunny® and The Original Bomb Pop® at Walmart. ad

    For those days where whipping up Sugar Cookie Bowls, or pulling the ice cream out of the freezer is just too much effort – or your saving it to eat after the kids go to bed – The Orginal Bomb Pop® has you covered. It’s a quick treat that keeps the fun going all day long with no need to stop for anything. My kids absolutely love swinging around the backyard with The Original Bomb Pop® in hand.

    The Original Bomb Pop® photo bomber. ad I’ve heard there’s a new Snapchat Filter coming that will turn your head into a Bomb Pop that will then blast across the sky. I’m not a snapchat user myself, but this picture of my kid photo bombing with The Original Bomb Pop® in hand has me rethinking that life choice. I can see those Bomb Pops blasting across the sky now. Keep an eye out on June 29th, National Bomb Pop day, for the special filter.

    Grab more Recipes for Summer Fun here

  • Strawberry Blossom Puffs Bring in Spring

    Strawberry Blossom Puffs Bring in Spring

    Welcome Spring! Or at least I would love to be welcoming spring right about now. According to Punxsutawney we still have some winter left, but here in Indiana, winter was pretty mild, and the spring weather has been around for awhile. I got around last week to weeding the strawberry bed, and was pleasantly surprised to see that they had spread and continued growing throughout the winter months. My small little garden bed inspired me to create these Strawberry Blossom Puffs to bring in the official first day of spring. 

    Strawberry Blossom Puffs are light and airy - perfect to celebrate the spring weather. #InspiredbyPuff ad

    Now I love winter, but I also love the changing seasons. Going from that bitter cold, beautifully white covered earth, to temperatures just right and colorful blossoms popping up from the ground. There couldn’t be a better time to celebrate. Just a couple weeks ago Rosalina convinced me to have a picnic with the kids.

    These Strawberry Blossom Puffs are easy to make with Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry. I use to be scared of the Puff Pastry, thinking they were too difficult to make right. They really aren’t hard to use at all, though! The dough starts out frozen, but if you follow the steps on the packaging for thawing, you will not struggle at all. In fact, they even have tips right on the box in case you forgot you pulled it out and let it thaw too long, or have other issues with the dough.

    More Tips and Tricks for using Puff Pastry in your Springtime Recipes 

    Strawberry Blossom Puffs are easy to make with puff pastry. #InspiredbyPuff ad

    Alright, so I chose to use the Puff Pastry in these Strawberry Blossom Puffs, because to me Spring is a time for foods that are light and airy. The layers of dough from the pastry create that light airy texture, and mixed with the creamy strawberry filling, a beautifully textured spring recipe is formed. I used the full package to make my little blossoms, cutting both puff pastry sheets into 16 equal squares. You can also cut them into circles for a more even look around the edges. 

    Perfect Puff Pastry's add a light and airy texture to every spring recipe. #InspiredbyPuff ad

    When the Puff Pastry first comes out of the oven, they will have completely filled the mini muffin tin. While they are still warm, use the back of a spoon to gently press the center down, effectively creating a well for your filling. Now I used strawberries in mine because that is my favorite berry of all time, but you could mix in any berry and get the same results. I think next we’ll try some blackberries. 

    Strawberry Blossom Puffs anyone can make to look Pinterest worthy. #InspiredbyPuff ad

    Can I tell you all a secret? I sent a picture right after I made these to Mark because I was so excited how they turned out, and his response was “Did you take the picture?” He thought for sure it looked too good to have been both made and photographed by me! I kid you not, that is how easy Puff Pastry’s make it to have Pinterest worthy food at your next party. If I can do it, anyone can do it!

    Strawberry Blossom Puffs
    Serves 12
    Celebrate spring with this light and airy treat. Whipped cream cheese and strawberries fill the perfect puff pastry’s.
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    Ingredients
    1. Pepperidge Farms® Puff Pastry Sheets
    2. 4oz Cream Cheese, softened
    3. 1 cup Strawberries, chopped
    4. 1/8 tsp Lemon extract
    5. 2 TBS Powdered Sugar
    6. Fresh Lemon Zest (optional)
    7. Mint leaves (optional)
    Instructions
    1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
    2. Unroll the Puff Pastry Sheets, and cut into 16 equal squares.
    3. Gently press each square into a mini muffin cup. Bake for 10 minutes.
    4. Gently press the back of a spoon in the middle of each puff to create a well.
    5. Let the puffs cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack.
    6. Mix together cream cheese, strawberries, lemon extract, and powdered sugar until well combined.
    7. Fill the Pastry Puffs with the berry mix. Sprinkle lemon zest over the tarts, and top with a mint leaf.
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/

    Strawberry Blossom Puffs bring in the spring weather. #InspiredbyPuff ad

  • Almond Butter Cookies Recipe

    Almond Butter Cookies Recipe

    Everyone loves Peanut Butter Cookies, especially when you add a little chocolate kiss to the top, but have you ever tried to mix it up with Almond Butter? These Almond Butter Cookies are a good alternative if you’re looking for a way to use up some Almond Butter. 

    Grab this recipe for Almond Butter Cookies.

    It was last fall and my friend messages me about this deal she found on Pinterest for free Almond Butter. I love free food, especially trying new foods that I wouldn’t otherwise buy. So I signed up to get the free Almond Butter, and it eventually showed up in a box much too large for the actual butter, but whatever, it’s another box for the kids to imagine with. 

    Go ahead and raise your hand if you signed up for this deal too!

    Our first decision was to replace the Peanut Butter in Venice’s sandwiches. She loves her plain PB sandwiches with globs of the butter unspread on white bread. That turned out quickly to be a no-go. Add some jelly? Nope. The kids still wouldn’t go near it. 

    So for the next 2 months, this Almond Butter sat in our pantry as we reached around it for our constant favorite, Peanut Butter. Then one day, I decided I had the energy to make Peanut Butter Cookies for an after school snack. I started mixing everything together, but when I went to grab for the PB, it was gone! All I had left was the dreaded Almond Butter.  

    Almond Butter Cookies - the only tasty way to eat Almond Butter.

    I couldn’t let my energy go to waste. So I popped open the jar and decided Almond Butter shouldn’t really change our favorite Peanut Butter Cookies too much.  I mixed them up, placed the pans in the oven, and then texted my friend – 

    Almond butter should be able to replace Peanut Butter in cookies right?

    She laughed, and then told me she didn’t think it would work. Turns out she was experiencing the same issue in her house. The Almond Butter we were both so excited to get for free, had sat in her pantry with constant avoidance. In her opinion, I had probably just ruined my cookies by adding the Almond Butter. Too late to go back, though, I tried to stay optimistic that the Almond Butter cookies would come out tasty. 

    Almond Butter Cookies are approved by 4 year olds.

    You guys!!! Don’t take it from me alone, ask the 4-year-old. These Almond Butter Cookies are good! Now, are they better than Peanut Butter cookies? No. They also don’t keep nearly as long, so only make in smallish batches, and eat them the same day. After a day they get pretty hard. I personally like my cookies soft. The girls came home from school and laid into these cookies without even asking what kind they were. After all, they still look like Peanut Butter cookies, just a bit darker. 

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