Sunflower Cake

While I was done visiting my parents earlier this month, my mom showed me a pictures of this cake. Once I saw that it had peeps, I knew two things. First, my husband would love it (and he did), second, that it would make a great Easter cake. It's cute and fun and super easy to  make. If you can open a boxed cake mix and bake it, then frost it, you can make this cake. Easy is my favorite word when it comes to cooking, especially if it's something for a special occasion and this cake fits the bill!

One Year Ago: Oven Baked Chicken Fingers

What You Need:

a boxed cake mix (any flavor)
the ingredients to make said boxed cake
white frosting (I used a vanilla flavored one)
3 packages of yellow Peeps
1 c chocolate chips

What To Do:

Follow the directions on the back of the box for making your cake and bake it using two 9 inch round cake pans. Allow to cool completely. Frost your cake with the white frosting, make sure to add some in the middle too. Once it's frosted, start placing your peeps around the cake in a circle, making sure that their tails face out to make the petals of the sunflower. Fill the center with the chocolate chips and that's it. You have a cute cake already for Easter!

Easy Apple Crisp

Wish you could have some apple crisp that was delicious and full of flavor but also under 200 calories a serving? My apple crisp is served in the apple itself, which means you can eat the entire thing and not feel guilty with all the butter and sugar you normally find in a dessert of this type. Hallowed out apples are re-stuffed with apple pieces that have been coating in a touch of sugar and spices then topped with a topping that becomes crispy once baked. Of course you can't have apple crisp without a bit of ice cream right? Trying having it with some non-fat greek yogurt instead. You'll never miss the calorie laden icecream along side this warm treat.

One Year Ago: Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli 
Two Years Ago: PB&J Cookies

What You Need:

4 medium sized apples
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tbs butter, melted
salt

What To Do:

Core your apples, don't worry that there is a whole in the bottom, we'll take care of that in a bit. Using a melon baller, or grapefruit spoon, remove most of the inside of the apple, leaving a shell about a 1/4 inch thick on all sides to hold your filling. You could probably use a regular spoon, but it's easier cutting through the flesh of the apple using one of the tools I mentioned.
Once your apples are cleaned out, take the innards and cut them into small pieces. Toss those pieces with 2 tbs of the brown sugar, the cinnamon, nutmeg and pinch of salt.
Mix the remaining 2 tbs of brown sugar with the rolled oat and the butter until it's fully incorporated. Everything should be moist and the stick together fairly well. Place a tiny bit of the oat mixture in the bottom of the apple. This will help to keep the juices inside. Fill each apple with 1/4 of your apple filling and then top each with 1/4 of the reaming oat mixture.
Bake in a preheated 350 oven for about 30 minutes or until the apples look a bit slumped, a knife easily pierces them and the topping is golden brown.

Each apple is 214 calories with 7 grams of fat, based on My Fitness Pal's calculator.
According to the same website, a normal serving (1 cup) of apple crisp is 412 calories and 15 grams of fat. My recipe is half that and just as good, if not better!

Easy Meyer Lemon Tart

Easy is the best way to describe this tart. A handful of ingredients and a blender is all you need. There is no whisking lemon juice, sugar and eggs over a double boiler, praying you don't end up with lemon scrambled eggs. This sweet and tart lemon filling would go great in any of  your favorite pie crust but I have something special for this one. I didn't have time to make a traditional pie crust. It wouldn't have been ready to eat if I had to let the dough sit for 30 minutes and then bake and let it cool. I didn't have an graham crackers so that type of crust was out too. I almost scrap the whole idea of desert all together but then had a great idea! I had tons of rolled oats in the pantry so why not do a oatmeal crust? Sounds strange right? I think it's my new favorite crust! Think of have a pie with a crumble topping. Now take that crunchy goodness and turn it into a pie crust. Now it sounds good doesn't it! It works very well in fruit pies and couldn't be easier to make. As for the lemon part of the tart, use Meyer lemons. They're not as tart as a regular lemon and do not have real thick skins which is why this easy recipe works as well as it does.

What You Need:
Pie Crust:

1/2 c flour
1 1/2 c rolled oats (Not quick oats)
1/3 c brown sugar
1 stick of butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt

Filling:

2 meyer lemons, cut into quarters
1 1/2 c sugar
1 stick room temp butter
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt

What To Do:

Preheat the oven to 400.
Make the crust by combining the ingredients thoroughly. You want to make sure that the butter has coating everything. No dry spots or the crust won't hold in that spot. Press into an 8 inch tart pan or a pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the filling.
Put all the filling ingredients into a blender and give it a whirl. Yep, that's it. Just turn the blender on and let it go until everything is combined. It will look a little strange but I promise it works! Just pour it into your pie crust and bake for about 30 minutes or until the tart is golden and set. Let cool completely before cutting.

Apple Brie Tarts

One word to say about these tarts: YUMMY! I made them as a dessert for Thanksgiving and they were just incredible. Apples and brie along with a touch of honey and some chopped walnuts are great on their own but wrap them in puff pastry and you have the wonderful, and easy, dessert in the world. It is a great sweet and savory sort of dessert that most people will just love!

One Year Ago: Cheddar Beer Soup 
Two Years Ago: Polenta Sausage Casserole

What You Need:

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
6 tbs honey
6 tbs chopped walnuts
several thin slices of brie


What To Do:

Cut the puff pastry into 6 equal squares. Place a few slices of brie in the center, followed by a few slices of apple, 1 tbs of honey and 1 tbs of the nuts. Lift the opposite corners and gently press them together. Do the same with the remaining two corners. You're keeping the square shape by bringing the corners in together. Bake in a preheat 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temp.

Fried Oreo’s

Where I grew up, you can find these delicious, chocolate morsels at any fair or carnival. They are love by all ages for their crispy, golden brown goodness. They’re not hard to make, but don’t even think about the calories. These are a once in a great while treat in my house. It has been a few years since I’ve made them last. I use double stuffed oreo’s when I make them, but really you can use any kind you want. I bet the mint ones taste pretty darn good too. I like to eat them plain, but they tend to be better with some powdered sugar on top or a drizzle of hot fudge and some whipped cream.


One Year Ago: Olive Tapenade


What You Need:

Double Stuffed Oreo’s
1 egg
1/4 c milk
1/2 tbs vanilla
1 tbs agave or sugar
1/2 c flour
pinch of salt
oil for frying


What To Do:

Heat a pan with about 2 inches of oil. In a bowl, combined the egg, milk, vanilla, agave or sugar, flour and salt. If your batter is still thick, add a bit more milk in until it’s a pancake batter consistency.  Once the oil has reached 350 degrees, dunk an oreo into the batter. Use a fork to pull it out and carefully drop into the oil. Let fry, flipping once, until just golden brown. The cookie becomes soft and crème melts into a wonderful gooey-ness.

Best Ever Pumpkin Pie

There are thousand of pumpkin pie recipes on the net, so what makes mine different? Well first, I don’t use an entire cup of sugar to sweeten my pie. The processed white stuff just didn’t belong here. The second difference? I don’t use evaporated or condensed milk either. Even with these two huge changes, my pumpkin pie is still sweet, creamy, and heavenly. Plus with your own pumpkin puree, you get a sense of pride knowing that you made everything from start to finish, and it’s no harder then opening up a can of “pumpkin” which really can be anything but. Did you know that the type of “pumpkin” Libbys, the biggest producer of canned pumpkin, uses only variety which looks more like a butternut squash then a pumpkin. The last difference is the addition of just a touch of molasses. It darkens the pie a bit and adds just a hint of incredible flavor.

What You Need:

1 pie crust (store bought is fine, but I suggest making your own)
2 c pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 c half and half or whole milk
1/2 c REAL maple syrup, brown rice syrup or agave
1 tbs molasses
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
pinch of salt

What To Do:

Preheat your oven to 350.
Whisk the eggs with the milk until thoroughly combined. Add in the pumpkin puree, molasses, sweetener and the spices. Mix really well.
Place your pie with, the crust inside, onto the bottom rack of your oven. Pour the pie filling into the crust. This makes getting the pie to the oven without spilling much easier!
Bake for about 50 minutes or until the pie set and just barely giggles in the middle. Let cool and serve with whipped cream.

How to Make: Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkins are another thing that I love about the Fall. Really though, who doesn’t? You can carved jack o’lanterns, make pumpkin pie, and of course pumpkin butter. It’s a lot like apple butter, using most of the same ingredients and of course time, but tastes a heck of a lot like pumpkin pie! This does take some time. It’s not that it’s a hard process, just a long one. Peeling pumpkins, cooking them down, pureeing them and then cooking them even more. It is worth it though. Of course you can always start with pureed pumpkin out of a can but I like the satisfaction that I get doing it completely from scratch.

What You Need:

A sugar pumpkin, about 2-2 1/2 pounds. These are not carving pumpkins.
1 c apple cider or apple juice
1/2 c maple syrup (the real stuff) or 1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 tbs cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cardamom (optional but gives bigger flavors)

What To Do:

Wash the pumpkin and peel with  a veggie peeler to remove the tough skin. Cut in half and scoop out the sides and the stringy stuff. Cut into chunks about 1 inch in size and place into a large enough pot so that all the pumpkin is in a single layer. Pour in enough apple cider/juice to come about half way up the sides of the pumpkin. Turn the heat on medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the pumpkin is soft, making sure to stir it a few times along the way.  This takes about 30 minutes. Puree the mixture, either using a stick blender or in batches using a regular blender. Return the pot. Stir in the maple syrup and the spices. Cook over medium low heat, stirring often, making sure to bring the pumpkin up off the bottom of pan. Keep cooking until it’s nice and thick and the bubbles take a long time to pop. It will take another 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool. Place into a container and store in the fridge.

Classic: Ice Box Cake

I remember by very first job was working as an office girl for a campground and canoe rental place that my uncle owned. I was all of 14 and so excited to be working and making money for things that my parents wouldn’t buy. Even then I loved to cook and I remember my uncle asking me if I knew how to make an ice box cake. Of course, I had never heard of this before so I asked my mom. Basically, it’s an old fashion favorite made with whipped cream and very thin, very crisp, chocolate cookies. Those cookies are pretty hard to find anymore. They’re usually on the top shelf, hidden in between other cookies that have lost their way.  You can find them, you just have to look really really well. They come in a rectangular yellow box, that is wrapped in plastic. Honestly, I’m not sure who even makes them. Guess I should have paid attention when I found them. You know you have the right box when you flip it over and there is a recipe on the back for “Old Fashion Ice Box Cake.”

What You Need:

1 package very thin chocolate cookies
1 tub cool whip
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
Hot Fudge for garnish you like

What To Do:

Mix the vanilla into the cool whip if using. I don’t ever use it, but it helps give a bit more flavor to the cake. Then all you do is place a dollop of cool whip onto each cookie and sort of sandwich them all together. They stand up on their edge to form a “cake” shape. Then cover the entire thing with the remaining cool whip and place into the fridge for at least 4 hours. The cookies become soft to form a cake like texture. Cut into diagonal slices and serve!

Berry Filled Crepe Cups

I made this dessert for a family dinner we had a few weeks ago. Berries were just coming into season and I found some beautiful strawberries, blueberries and black raspberries. I was tired of the same old angle food cake with berries and whipped cream and I still had a bunch of crepes left over, so this worked perfectly. It was pretty easy to do, and really does make a great quick dessert for when company show up.

What You Need:

crepes
mixed berries, fresh or even frozen that have been thawed
a bit of sugar
whipped cream

What To Do:

Place your berries in a bowl and toss them with a bit of sugar. Place them aside and let them side for a while so that some juice forms with the berries. Preheat your oven to 400 degree. Spray a jumbo sized muffin tin with just a touch of cooking spray. Fold 1 crepe in half and then bring the ends together to form a circle. Press it into the muffin tin so that forms a cup. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until they are golden brown and slightly crispy. When they’re done, let them cool for awhile before removing them. Once they are completely cool and you are ready to serve them, fill them with berries and top with some whipped cream. 

Crepes

Crepes are something that a lot of people are scared to make but in reality they’re pretty easy. All you need is a good non stick skillet, a measuring cup and a little patience. It doesn’t take much skill to make crepes so please, don’t be scared to try them. They are wonderful either savory or sweet as they can be filled with anything. I’m sharing a basic crepe batter that I use for desserts and it has just a touch of vanilla in it. If you’re looking for a savory version, just omit the vanilla and add in your savory ingredients. Chopped fresh chives would give a slight onion flavor, or even some orange or lemon zest would be good too.


What You Need:

2 eggs
1 1/4 c milk
1 c flour
2 tbs melted butter (plus another few tbs for your pan)
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt


What To Do:

Place all your ingredients into a blender and blend for 2 minutes or until the batter is nice and smooth. Place into the fridge to let rest for at least one hour, two is better, overnight is best. To cook your crepes, heat an 8 inch non stick skillet over medium low to medium heat. Once hot, brush a very thin coat of melted butter onto the sides of the pan. Take a 1/4 c measuring cup full of batter and slowly pour it into the your pan, making sure to swirl the pan as your adding in the batter. You want a very thin coating of batter that takes up the entire pan. If you find that 1/4 c is to much, use 1/8 cup. The point is to thinly coat the bottom of your pan.
After just a minute or two, carefully flip the crepe over. The edge will start to turn up, providing a lip for you to grab with your fingers, or a pair of tongs. Once they’re flipped over, cook for just another minute and voilà, you have crepes! Continue making them until all the batter is gone.

Cake Batter Blondies

If you’ve on the wonderfully addicted site Pinterest lately, you’re sure to have see these delectable cake batter blondies. There have been a number of people making them lately and for good reason, they are heavenly! The night after I saw these golden beauties I needed to make them. I started raiding my pantry, hoping to still have a yellow cake mix in there. Thankfully, I was in luck. I had one box of yellow mix left. Then I came to a problem. I didn’t have any sprinkles! So mine aren’t as colorful as the ones you’ve seen around, but mine have coconut and delicious dark chocolate chips in them.  They are a quick treat and would be perfect to make for bake sales too.

What You Need:

1 box yellow cake mix
1/4 c veg oil
1 egg
1/2 c milk
1/2 c coconut
1/2 c dark chocolate chips


What To Do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cake mix, oil, egg and milk in a bowl, whisking until combined. Then stir in the coconut and chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 11x7 baking dish and cook for about 25 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Deep Dish Blueberry Pie

I LOVE berry season. You can find sweet, juicy berries for a fraction of the cost any other time of year. I bought 4 pounds of blueberry for $4 on my last grocery trip. Yes I said 4 pounds for $4. It’s pretty amazing when you think about it. Any other time of the year you’re paying at least $4 for one of those 1/2 pint clam shells. Since I received such a great deal on these berries, I made a pie for hubby. I normally don’t do berry pies. I like making scones or adding them into pancakes, but my dear husband has been putting long hours at work. I’m talking 80 hour work weeks right now. He even worked over the July 4th holiday when the rest of his work had off for 5 days. I figured a pie made from his favorite fruit/flavor would be a nice thing to do. Oh and here’s a secret tip. Most of the time you’ll see blueberry pie with a lattice top or a top crust with slits in them. To me this boring! So I took a small cookie cutter, a heart to be precise, and cut a bunch of them out of my top crust. I then laid them over the blueberries and when it comes out of the oven, you have this beautiful pie with lots of hearts of top. Now that my friends, is true love!


What You Need:

6 cup blueberries (just over 2 lbs)
1 recipe perfect pie dough
1/4 c sugar
1/3 c flour
2 tbs butter
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg

Egg Wash
1 egg
1tbs whole milk, cream or half and half


What To Do:

Cut your rested and chilled pie dough in half, roll out and fit into a deep dish pie dish. Keep the other half in the fridge. Make sure to have about an inch of over hang so that you can create a fluted edge. It’s actually pretty simple. Fold the excess dough under the edge, then take the thumb of your left hand and place it on the outside of the dough. Take your thumb and index finger of your right hand and from the inside of the pie dough, press outward, sort of sandwiching your left thumb in-between the fingers on your right. Continue doing this all the way around the pie, creating a fluted crust.  In a large bowl, gently mix the berries, sugar, flour, lemon juice, zest and nutmeg. Pour into the pie dish and dot with the butter. Place back into the fridge and grab the remain pie dough. Roll this half out to about 1/4 inch thick and cut several hearts, stars etc from it. Remove the pie from the fridge and arrange the cutouts on top, leaving holes here and there. Place the pie back into the fridge. Turn your oven onto 400 degree to preheat. Combine the egg together with the milk, whisking it well so that the egg is broken down into the milk. You’re pie should be fully chilled by the time your oven is preheated, so remove it from the fridge and use a pastry brush to pain the egg wash onto all areas of exposed pie dough. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until bubbly and the juices appear thickened.

Fruit Tart

I really enjoy fruit tarts during the summer. They’re delicious and can be used with a combonation of fruits, perfect for any fruit that is in season. This fruit tart happens to be pretty simple to  make too. Just a handful of ingredients, no pressing or rolling dough out either. Layers of phyllo dough create a crispy flaky bottom for the creamy topping and sweet fruit. Topped off with some dark chocolate and you have the perfect, summer time desert.

What You Need:


9 sheets phyllo dough (1/2 a box)
2 tbs butter, melted
1 (8oz) block cream cheese, room temp
1 1/2 c whipped topping
2 kiwi’s peeled and sliced
1/2 fresh pint blueberries
1 pint of fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
(Or any fruits you’d like)
1/2 c dark chocolate chips, melted

What To Do:


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. On a parchment lined backing sheet, layer the phyllo dough, one sheet at a time, brushing with melted butter in between each sheet. Phyllo dries out very quickly so make sure to keep the sheets you haven’t used under a slightly damp kitchen towel. Once you have layered all 9 sheets, place in the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
In a large bowl, whip the cream cheese to lighten it up and then fold in the whipped cream. Spread this mixture evenly over the tart and topped with your fruit. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top and let sit for 10 minutes or until the chocolate has hardened again. Cut into squares and serve.

Granola

I was gearing up to end the week with a fabulous and easy fish taco recipe. However, my plans have changed and I’m pushing it back to Monday. Why? Because a good friend and fellow mommy shared with incredible recipe for granola over on her blog a while back. She calls it “Your Granola” and I couldn’t agree more. She gives the basics on what to include, as well as her version. I finally was able to make it last night. I gave it a taste and knew that it was something I wanted to share with GOC readers right away. I’m giving you her recipe that I modified for myself. It’s also very, very economical. If you were to buy a bag of granola in the store, you’re looking at a good $5 for just a few ounces. She also continues by saying that she likes keeping the ingredients simple and natural. There is no reason to add artificial sweeteners here. She uses honey in her recipe because it’s natural. I used a mixture of agave and honey.  What ever you use, you’re sure to love her recipe. While your there, make sure you take a look at her other posts. She has some great craft ideas and ideas for green living among other things.


What You Need:

5 cup rolled oats, not quick cooking
1 c pumpkin seeds
1 c sunflower seeds
1/2 c cashews
1/2 c almonds
1 c raisins
1 c dried cherries
1/3 c agave
1/3 c honey
2 tsp cinnamon
What To Do:
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients but the dried fruit together. Make sure to mix it well so that everything is covered by the honey and agave. This is what makes it crunchy. Turn out onto a 1/2 sheet pan and bake in a preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes. Make sure to stir after every 10 minutes. During my last 10 minutes, I separated the granola onto two sheet pans. This isn’t necessary but I wanted to make sure that my nuts and seeds got really toasty, which they did, but it was almost to far.
Once it’s cooled, stir in the dried fruit and store in airtight containers.

Pear Tarte Tatin

Traditionally, this dessert is made with apples, but I didn't have any, so pears it was! Tarte Tatin was made famous by the Tartin sisters who always served it in their restaurant. I have been wanting to try and make this for the longest time. I've seen it done on cooking shows, but it always looked so difficult. That was until I tried it. It's actually pretty easy. Just 4 ingredients and a little bit of time is all you need. Please keep in the mind though, that you are working with hot sugar and there is the potential to really burn yourself. Caution with this dish is very important.

What You Need:

1 stick of butter
1 cup sugar
Aprox. 5 large apples or pears, peeled, cored and cut into quarters
1 sheet of puff pastry dough


What To Do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a cast iron skillet, or other oven safe pan, that is about 10-12 inches across, melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in the sugar and then arrange the apples or pears in a spiral shape. Turn the heat to high and cook for about 5 minutes or until the sugar starts to thick and the fruit gives off it's juices. With a sharp knife or fork, very carefully flip the fruit over and cook for another 5 minutes. Roll out the puff pastry to the size of your pan and cut it into a circle. Carefully lay the pastry dough over the top, tucking the edges down over the fruit. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for several minutes, before inverting onto a serving plate. Please make sure to let this cool because when you flip it there is always the possibility of the juices splattering on you. You want to serve it warm but there is a big difference between hot, and warm. A dollop of vanilla icecream on top goes really well too.

Pocket Pies

With berries soon to be in season, pocket pies are a delicious way to use some of them up. Sure you can buy them at your grocery stores for around a dollar a piece but the ones I’ve seen hardly contain any fruit. In fact, most of the time it’s a sweet, jelly like substance. Homemade pocket pies are very easy, can be frozen after they’re cooked, and you control the quality of the ingredients. That’s what home cooking is all about, providing better foods for your family. They are not necessarily lower in fat or calories, but they are not full of preservatives and chemicals. 

What You Need:

You’re favorite pie crust recipe, perhaps GOC's perfect pie crust..

Peach Pie Filling

You’re favorite fruit pie filling. The last time I made these, peaches were in season. All I did was dice them, added in a sprinkle of cinnamon and some cornstarch. The cornstarch is VERY important. It allows the juice from the fruit to thicken and not explode out of the pies when you cook them.

Oil for frying

Egg wash made from one egg and a splash of milk or water

A glaze made of powdered sugar and some vanilla or lemon juice

What To Do:

Roll your pie dough out to about ¼ inch thickness. Cut out large circles using a biscuit cutter, glass etc. You want a decent sized circle. Place a tablespoon or two of filling into the center of each one. Make sure not to overfill the dough so they don’t explode while cooking. Brush the outer edges of your dough with the egg wash and fold it in half to enclose the filling, sealing it with your fingers or a fork. Carefully place two or three at a time into preheated 350 degree oil and fry for about 5 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Remove to paper toweling to cool for another 5 minutes before drizzling the glaze over the top. 

This and That Cookies

I've made these cookies a number of times before, but this is the first time I've ever wrote one of the recipes down. I say "one of the recipes" because it changes every time, depending on what I put them. Sometimes I start with a basic sugar cookies dough, sometimes chocolate chip and sometimes peanut butter. This recipes starts with a peanut butter cookie recipe from the King Aurthur Cookie Companion. Then I open up my baking cabinet and see what I have kicking around. These cookies come out flat, kind of crispy and kind of chewy but totally delicious.

What You Need:

2 sticks of butter
1 c brown sugar
1/4 c agave
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbs vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup nutella
1 cup oats
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup coconut
1/3 c white chocolate chips
1/3 c chocolate chips
1/3 c granola, plain or with raisins

What To Do:

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, agave, baking soda, salt and vanilla until fluffy. Add the eggs in one at a time until combined, and then mix in the nutella. In a small bowl, stir together the oats, flour, coconut, white and chocolate chips and the granola. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the dry ingredients until they are all mixed in. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. They will spread out quite a bit so make sure you leave plenty of room in between them. This makes 4 dozen cookies.

Apple Cider Cake

I got this idea from a friend of mine. She was trying to figure out what kind of cake to bake for a friends birthday. She showed me a couple options and one of them was an apple cider cake. I thought it sounded good but was more for the fall, thinking I wouldn't be able to find apple cider in the dead of winter. While grocery shopping two weeks ago, I decided to check out the case that my grocery store keeps their cider in, surprised to actually see they still had it! So I picked up a bottle, returned home and made this moist cake using a bunt pan, apple cider and apple sauce. This cake has very little fat in it and doesn't raise very much at all.

What You Need:

1 box yellow cake mix (not a pudding one or a butter recipe)
1 c apple cider
3 eggs
1/3 c apple sauce
2 tbs veg oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon

For the glaze:
1 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbs apple cider

What To Do:

Preheat your oven to 350 degree and grease a bunt pan well.
In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix with the apple cider, eggs, applesauce, oil and cinnamon until moist and well combined. Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning out on a cooling rack to finish cooling. Once the cake is cooled, mix together the cider, powdered sugar and cinnamon. It will take a minute to get all the powdered sugar combined but don't add anymore liquid, just keep stirring. It will look brown because of the cinnamon but it gives the cake a shinny appearance. Drizzle the glaze over the cake and it's ready to go.

Ina's Coconut Cake

I love coconut. It's so yummy!! I was watching Barefoot Contessa, it's one of my fav's, and she made this incredible coconut cake! I'm going to let the picture speak for it self in this one and just copy and paste her recipe. I did make a few changes that I will note: I used 6 large eggs instead of extra large eggs for the cake and in the frosting. I omitted the almond extract from both the cake and the frosting and I added a vanilla bean so it had all those little dark specks in the frosting. Super yummy!!

Ina Garten's Coconut Cake:

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup milk
• 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

For the frosting:

• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dustlightly with flour.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!).

To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

Blueberry Muffins

A good blueberry muffin doesn't take a lot of effort, but it does take some skill. The skill lies and being able to not over mix the batter. As with most quick breads (muffins are a quick bread), you don't want the flour to develop to much gluten. So you mix it until it's just barely combined and get it in the oven. If you over mix your batter, the muffins can come out dense and dry. These blueberry muffins have a hint of lemon in them from some lemon zest and a unique flavor from the sour cream. The sour cream also helps to keep them moist. Right now where I live it's the middle of winter and blueberries are out of season. However, I stocked up on them during the summer and had a pretty good supply in my freezer, the last of which I used to make these muffins. If you do use frozen berries, instead of fresh, you will most likely have to add about 5 minutes onto your cooking time.

What You Need:

1 3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 stick butter, room temp
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs, room temp
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 c milk
zest from 1 lemon
1 pint blueberries

What To Do:

Cream together the room temperature butter and the sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is incorporated well before adding the next. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Remove two tablespoons of the dry ingredients and toss it with the blueberries. This will keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of your muffins. Combine the dry ingredients, along with the sour cream, milk and lemon zest into the butter and egg mixture. Gently fold everything together until just combined before folding in the blueberries. Divide among 12 lined cupcakes and bake in a preheat 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted int he middle comes out clean.