Finger Licking Good Garlic Parmesan Knots–So Easy!

I have found the most delicious and the easiest recipe for garlic knots ever!  When I saw this recipe posted by Georgia from the blog The Comfort of Cooking I knew it was a keeper.  Georgia is one of my favorite bloggers.  Her recipes are useful and are usually easy to make, and you can always bet they are delicious.  I go to her site when I need inspiration. 

Now, I’m telling you these knots are great, and boy did they inspire me! They are delicious served as appetizers, with a big bowl of pasta, or with grilled chicken and a Greek salad like the one I had for dinner last night.  The best part about this recipe, nearly all of the work has been done for you.  You simply need a can of buttermilk biscuits.  I used an off brand, but did buy the jumbo size biscuits.  I think I paid a total of $1.19 for the can.  A small price for such a huge hit!

I adapted Georgia’s recipe ever so slightly to accommodate my tastes. 

Finger Licking Garlic Parmesan Knots

1 can of jumbo biscuits

3 tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. Italian seasoning

a pinch of dried parsley

1/2 tsp. parmesan cheese

a pinch of salt

Grease a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small dish, add melted butter and seasonings; mix ingredients until blended.

Roll each biscuit into a rope about 6” long and tie each one into a knot.  Brush each knot with about half of the butter mixture and bake until light golden brown (about 10 -12 minutes).  Remove the baking sheet from the oven and brush each knot with the remaining butter and serve.

If you like flaky rolls loaded with garlic and parmesan flavor, and you like no fuss and inexpensive, then these knots are calling your name.

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Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream Topping

Ever make something that you can’t wait to finish so you can lick the spoon?  Me too!

Honestly, I don’t know how you couldn’t lick the spoon, your fingers, and the bowl when you’re finished making this homemade peanut butter fudge topping.  If you can resist, you’re willpower is like granite, and mine – is not.

Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream Topping

Makes about 1 cup

1/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tbsp. sugar

1/4 c. peanut butter

1/4 c. heavy cream

1/4 c. skim milk

a pinch of salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a saucepan, add chocolate chips, sugar, salt, and peanut butter.  Melt slowly on low heat.  Pour in cream and milk and continue to stir constantly on low heat until sauce is smooth, creamy, and thickens.  Stir in vanilla; pour into a jar.  Serve on your favorite ice cream, or refrigerate until ready to use and then rewarm in the microwave.

I’ve decided if I run out of ice cream I’ll just eat this topping by the spoonful!

What is your favorite ice cream topping?

Looking for more topping ideas and recipes?

Cherry

Apple Rum

Kahlua

Peach Glace’

Kahlua Chocolate Chip Cake – A Vintage Style Dessert for Glamping

When we finally get to go glamping (soon I hope) I’m going to make vintage style desserts and fresh perked coffee on our adventures.  

This dessert is perfect for glamping because it’s quick and easy to throw together, calls for common ingredients, and bakes in less than 30 minutes.  I’m so excited that one of these days I’ll be able to bake in my little gold vintage oven.

This recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of one of my favorite liquors – Kahlua.   I promise the flavor is subtle and it won’t overwhelm you. 

Kahlua Chocolate Chip Cake

Grease a 9×13 pan.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1 c. margarine, softened

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

4 tbsp. Kahlua

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl,  cream together margarine, sugars, and eggs.  Beat in baking soda, salt, vanilla extract, Kahlua, and flour.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.  Allow to cool before cutting.

This cake is moist and doesn’t crumble easily.  You really don’t even need a fork for it.  That’s a good quality if you want to cozy up in front of a campfire and eat your dessert. 

Do you have a favorite dessert you like to make when you’re camping (glamping)?  How about crockpot desserts, ever tried one of those?   Also, I’d love to know what you consider a good vintage style dessert.

The Two Ingredient Mini Cupcake

Okay, for those of you who have heard of this recipe, why the heck didn’t you tell me about it?  You’ll never guess who did end up telling me about it – a doctor.

This recipe only requires two things to make these delicious, moist, and chocolaty mini’s.

1.) Your favorite brand and flavor of cake mix. 

2.)  One 15 ounce can of pure pumpkin.

That’s right, no eggs and no oil.  The elimination of those two items makes this recipe much lower in calories, and much healthier.  

Want to be creative? Try adding dark chocolate chips to these, or make them with a carrot, spice, or vanilla cake mix. 

I did a little research on these mini’s after the doctor told me about them.  I found the directions for making them, along with the nutritional information, at the Hungry Girl. 

I made a couple minor adjustments.  I added about 2 tablespoons of water to the bottom of  the pumpkin can to rinse it out.  I then added that water right into the batter.  I also baked my mini’s at 325 degrees for about 14-15 minutes.  Check with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean before removing them from the oven.

I am currently looking for healthier recipes to share here at The Joy of Caking.  If you’ve got a healthier tried and true recipe that you’d love to share, or would like to guest post with me – PLEASE email me!

 

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Bars

Yea, it’s finally time to unveil November’s Cookie of the Month! These Chocolate Chip Shortbread Bars are so tasty that I can promise you that they won’t last long in your house. 

What makes them even better is that they only require a few common ingredients that just about everyone should have on hand, and they are so quick and easy to make.  How can  you beat that?

Follow along, because at the end of this post I’m going to show you a way to jazz these cookies up a little.  If you are like me and you are a peanut butter fanatic you won’t want to miss it.

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Bars

1 c. margarine, softened

1/2 c. granulated sugar

3 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. mini  semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, add margarine, sugar, and vanilla; beat with electric mixer until blended.  Add flour, and beat until crumbly;  fold in chocolate chips.

Spread dough onto an 12” x 8” ungreased cookie sheet; press down to about 1/4” thick. 

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until edges are light brown and center is set.  

While still warm, make the bars by cutting into desired strips. 

Makes about 1.5 dozen.

As for the jazzing up, I made a peanut butter glaze that I piped on top of half of the batch of bars after they cooled down a bit.

For the glaze, mix 1 heaping tablespoon of peanut butter, 1/8 tsp. of pure vanilla extract, and 1/4 c. powdered sugar together.  Add a drop of milk, a little at a time, until you get the desired consistency you are looking for. 

These cookies are great with or without the glaze, and I’m certain I will be adding them to my holiday cookie gift boxes this year.

If someone were to make you a box of cookies, what kind would you want them to be?

 

 

 

Icebox Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Warm weather = icebox pie.  It’s just that simple.  And what could be better than a plate of creamy, chocolaty, crunchy, peanut buttery, banana pie?

This recipe was adapted from Kraft Food & Family Spring 2007 magazine.

Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crush (1) package (not a box) of honey graham crackers

4 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. creamy peanut butter

In a large bowl, add crushed graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar; set aside.

In a small bowl, microwave butter and peanut butter until melted and add to graham cracker crumbs; mix thoroughly.

Press firmly into 9” pie plate and bake for 6 minutes, or until light golden brown.  Cool completely.

Pie Filling

1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

2 bananas

2 packages of  vanilla instant pudding (I used sugar-free)

2 c. milk

1 c. non-dairy topping, thawed (I used sugar-free)

1/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips for topping

In a large bowl, add milk and vanilla pudding.  Mix about 2 minutes, or until thickened.  Fold in non-dairy topping and place in refrigerator.

Peel and quarter bananas, slice and place on bottom of prepared pie crust.  Microwave chocolate chips and peanut butter in small bowl until melted. Cool slightly, and pour on top of sliced bananas. 

Remove pudding from refrigerator and pour over chocolate – peanut butter mixture. 

Melt remaining 1/4 c. of chocolate chips and drizzle over top of pie. Return to refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours before serving. 

*Note – if you like frozen pie, this can be frozen and served that way too.  Take the pie out of the freezer about 20 minutes before cutting to serve.

I have resolved myself to make a few more changes to this recipe the next time I make it.  First, I’m going to make homemade vanilla pudding to use in it, and second, I’m going to eliminate the whipped topping. 

Do you have a favorite icebox pie recipe?  Let’s hear about it!

 

Old-Fashioned Molasses Cookies

I was never a big fan of molasses cookies but at some point in my life I actually acquired a taste for them.  I have come up with an easy recipe for molasses cookies that fits quite nicely in my “go to” recipe box. 

Old-Fashioned Molasses Cookies

3/4 c. vegetable shortening

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1/4 c. light flavored molasses

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (my pumpkin pie spice has ginger, allspice, nutmeg & cinnamon in it)

2 c. all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Makes about 2.5 dozen.

In a large bowl, cream shortening, brown sugar and egg together with electric mixer.  Mix until light and fluffy.  Add molasses, salt, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and flour; mix thoroughly.

Roll dough into small balls and dip into granulated sugar.  Place on cookie sheet and press center of cookie once with a fork.

Bake for 9-10 minutes, being careful not to over bake.  Remove from oven, cool on cookie sheets briefly before transferring to bakers rack.

Serve with your favorite cup of coffee or a glass of milk!

I’ve shared my recipe for these cookies at Mike and Molly’s House.  Do you have something to Show & Tell?

Thin and crispy at a minutes notice

I’m all for easy when it comes to making dinner, and easy doesn’t have to mean sacrifice.  It seems like I (quite frequently) get a craving for pizza.  I prefer homemade pizza for a couple of reasons.  One, it’s fresh. Two, you know whose hands have been all over it.  And three,  it doesn’t cost you a small fortune.

The problem with making homemade pizza?  Time.  If you don’t think about it in advance, and by the time you’re hankering for it, you usually don’t want to wait for the dough.  Even a simple dough recipe takes a reasonable amount of time to prepare.

When I crave pizza and I’m not prepared, I go to my book of tricks.  That’s when the tortillas wraps come out. Tortilla pizza is  quick, easy, and deliciously good.   You can top them with any of your favorite toppings, and they also make great anytime snacks and appetizers too.  Tortillas happen to be a staple in our house, and  we usually have enough of the other ingredients on hand to throw these together without having to make a special trip to the store.

White Pizza (Olive oil, mozzarella, feta, garlic, olives, & chicken)

Red Pizza (Sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, onion, peppers, olives & parmesan)

I lightly spray a baking sheet with a non-stick cooking spray and bake them at 350 degrees until the tops are golden brown.

Add a fresh salad, and your good to go.  Here is a great, fairly healthy meal at a minutes notice.

Guilt Free Mini Pies

I use to get Kraft Food & Family magazines (when they were free).  I loved them.  They were loaded with great recipes and enticing photo’s.  The recipes were simple too.  Somewhere along the way Kraft started charging for these magazines and it (sadly) disappoints me.   Fortunately, I still have all of my original issues so I can refer to them.

Last night I was looking for low-fat, low-calorie recipe.  For inspiration I dug out my old issues from Kraft.   I didn’t need to search beyond the issue that was on the top of the pile (Summer 2007). 

Although a lot of recipes jumped out at me, the one that I decided on was called “Flat Bottom Fruit Pie”.  It looked so fresh and inviting.  Just what my diet ordered.

Of course, I can’t leave well enough alone so I adapted this recipe to actually make a healthier version.  Once you read the recipe you will see how easy it is to interchange ingredients to satisfy just about any taste.

Here is my adaptation.  I must warn you this is a fast and easy one.  If you are looking to spend hours in your kitchen this one isn’t for you. 🙂

You will need:

1 refrigerated ready to use pie crust

1 tsp. of cinnamon & sugar (3/4 tsp. sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon) I used King Arthur Vietnamese cinnamon – my absolute favorite! 

1 package of Jell-O Sugar Free Cheesecake Pudding (and 2 cups of non-fat milk)

Fresh Blueberries

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Unroll pie crust, take a round cookie cutter and make cut outs.  (Hint – once I made the initial cutouts I rolled out the remaining dough and made several more to prevent wasting the dough.) 

Lay the cutouts on a baking stone.  Sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar mixture.  I didn’t use the entire teaspoon but feel free.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

While the crusts are baking mix up your pudding. 

Let the crusts cool, and put the pudding in the refrigerator to thicken for 1 hour.

Once the crusts are cool and the pudding is thick put your mini pies together.  Top with fruit and low-fat whipped cream.

These are so versatile.  If you don’t want to use sugar-free pudding you can use regular pudding.  You could also sprinkle the dough with a cocoa and sugar mixture. Can you image these made with chocolate pudding, and topped with fresh raspberries?  Vanilla pudding and fresh peaches?  Or,  how about white chocolate pudding with cherries and chocolate drizzled on top?  The list of possibilities is endless, and these are guilt free. 

More modified Kraft recipes to come!

Brown Sugar & Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake

 

The other night I had that urge to bake something. Baking isn’t the hard part for me. Trying to narrow down what it is I’m craving, if I can find a fairly simple recipe, and if I have all the ingredients I need to make it is a bit more tricky.  As I got out my cookbooks and leafed through the pages one thought came to mind as my eyes landed on a recipe for Easy Coffee Cake. When was the last time I had coffee cake?

 

The recipe I discovered met my criteria. Simple, I had all the ingredients, and it would satisfy my craving with a little fine tuning.

The recipe is as follows:

1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
2 1/3 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. shortening
3/4 c. milk
1 egg
1 tbls.  pumpkin pie spice (my adaptation)

Blend all these ingredients together and pour into a greased baking pan. The recipe didn’t specify what size pan to use so I used one approximately 9×7 in size.

 In a separate bowl mix the following ingredients until crumbly:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. flour
3 tbls. margarine
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (my adaptation)

Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on top of the cake mixture and bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

The cake was delicious. The pumpkin pie spice really paired well with the brown sugar, and of course a cup of coffee. I was extremely happy with the texture and flavor, and it put smiles on the faces of those I shared my treat with!

 

 

This post  can also be found on my other blog http://thejoyofcaking.blogspot.com