Bayou Brownies

Would you like a super easy knock-your-socks off dessert?  Well, look no further than these blonde Bayou Brownies.  The first time I baked these my 16 year old son loved them so much he had to practice some severe self control to keep from eating 1/2 the pan.

When I originally made these I didn't have time to take pics so I saved some in the freezer.  The brownies were in the freezer for a few weeks and not wrapped very well I might add.  After the photo session, my son ate the rest of the brownies and still commented on how good they were.

These brownies are a nice change from typical chocolate brownies and would be perfect for a potluck or holiday party.

Buon Appetito!

Bayou Brownies

source: www.myrecipes.com

prep: 10 minutes

bake: 40 minutes

yield: 15 servings

calories: 417

fat: 20 grams

1 cup chopped pecans 

1/2 cup butter, melted 

3 large eggs, divided 

1 (18.25-oz.) package yellow cake mix 

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened 

1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar

1. Combine pecans, butter, 1 egg, and cake mix, stirring until well blended; press in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan.

2. Beat remaining 2 eggs, cream cheese, and powdered sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour over cake mix layer.

3. Bake at 325° for 40 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

This chocolate pecan pie is my favorite variation of the Southern classic, Pecan Pie. Several years ago when I was a Southern Living at Home consultant one of my hostesses served this pie at her home party and I fell in love! I prefer this over regular pecan pie any day. This is would be a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving feast!

Buon Appetito!

Bourbon-Chocolate Pecan Pie  

• source: myrecipes.com
• yield: 9 inch pie
• calories: 655
• fat grams: 35.9
• 
  
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• 1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts 
• 4 large eggs 
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 
• 3 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels

1. Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pieplate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp.
2. Whisk together eggs, light corn syrup, and next 6 ingredients until mixture is smooth; stir in chopped pecans and morsels. Pour into piecrust.
3. Bake on lowest oven rack at 350° for 1 hour or until set.

Mississippi Mud Cake Lightened

Today I'm going back to my roots, and I am not referring to my natural hair color.  I am talking about where I grew up.  I was born and raised in Mississippi.  Actually, I was born in Memphis, Tennessee but grew up just a stone's throw away in northern Mississippi.  I realize there are many stereotypes about Mississippi, but I wasn't raised in the country or on a farm.  We do wear shoes and must of us have all our teeth.  There are other stereotypes about Mississippi that are true like most people are friendly and hospitable, and we enjoy really great food.  I personally think the South has the best food culture in the country.  Of course, I realize I could be a little biased. 

Mississippi Mud Cake is a traditional Southern dish named after the mud from the banks of the Mississippi River.  It consists of chocolate cake topped with gooey marshmallows, decadent chocolate icing, and often pecans or walnuts.  It is believed that this dish was created by home cooks after World War II because it was made of simple ingredients that could be found at any supermarket and did not require any special cooking tools.  Sounds like a perfect everyday cooking recipe!

It is no secret that I love Southern Living recipes.  This recipe comes from the August 2007 issue.  I don't keep magazines for years, but I do like to keep recipes that look good, but sometimes it takes me a while before I actually make them. 

This cake was good, but a little dry and pretty fattening too.  So I decided to bake it again using the low fat version of a chocolate box cake mix.  It was really moist and much lower in fat and calories than the original.  Also, the cake mix is so much more convenient.  I hope you enjoy this Mississippi delight!

Buon Appetito ya'll!

Mississippi Mud Cake ~ Lightened

source: adapted from Southern Living

yields: 15 servings

prep: 15 minutes

bake: 40 minutes

calories: 441

fat: 16

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• Devil's food cake or chocolate box cake mix (plus ingredients required on box)
• 1 (10.5-oz.) bag miniature marshmallows
• 
  
  1. Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• 2. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted.
• 3. Mix box cake mix according to directions. Pour in a 9 x 13 inch pan. 
• 4. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle evenly with miniature marshmallows; bake 8 to 10 more minutes or until golden brown. Drizzle warm cake with Chocolate Frosting*, and sprinkle evenly with toasted pecans.

*Chocolate Frosting

yields: 2 cups

prep: 10 minutes

cook: 5 minutes

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/3 cup milk

 1 (16 ounce) package powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Stir together first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until slightly thickened; remove from heat. Beat in powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until smooth. 

No-Bake Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Squares

Pumpkin week continues with this refreshing no-bake dessert. Pumpkin, orange, and ginger snap crust make this dessert a perfect fall treat. Not a fan of ginger snaps? No problem, simply substitute graham crackers.  

Buon Appetito in Autunno!

No-Bake Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Squares

source: adapted from Better Homes and Gardens recipe

yields: 12 servings

chill: overnight

calories* 316

fat grams* 23.5

• 3/4
  cup finely crushed ginger snaps or graham crackers
• 2
  tablespoons butter, melted
• 1
  8 ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
• 1/2
  cup sugar or sugar substitute 
• 1/2
  cup fat-free milk
• 2
  teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2
  teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
• 2
  8 ounce package fat-free cream cheese
• 1
  15 ounce can pumpkin
• 1
  teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1
  envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1/4
  cup orange juice
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  1.   For crust, in a medium bowl, stir together crushed graham crackers and melted butter until crackers are moistened. Press mixture onto bottom of an 8-inch springform pan. Cover and chill while preparing filling.

  
  

  2.   For filling, in a food processor or blender, combine the reduced-fat cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the sugar, 1/4 cup of the milk, the vanilla, and orange peel. Cover and process or blend until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl; set aside.

  
  

  3.   In a food processor or blender, combine fat-free cream cheese, pumpkin, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, remaining 1/4 cup milk, and the pumpkin pie spice. Cover and process or blend until smooth.

  
  

  4.   In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over orange juice; let stand for 5 minutes. Cook and stir over low heat until gelatin is dissolved. Stir 1 tablespoon of the gelatin mixture into the white cream cheese mixture and the remaining gelatin mixture into the pumpkin mixture.

  
  

  5.   Pour pumpkin mixture over chilled crust in pan. Carefully pour white cream cheese mixture over pumpkin mixture. Using a narrow, thin-bladed metal spatula or a table knife, swirl pumpkin and white mixtures.

  6.   Cover and chill overnight before serving. To serve, using a small sharp knife, loosen cheesecake from side of springform pan; remove side of pan. Cut into wedges. Makes 12 servings.

  
  

  *Nutritional facts are calculated using www.caloriecount.about.com and are approximate. 

  
  

Ginger Cheesecake Dessert

This Betty Crocker dessert combines some of my favorite flavors: ginger, lemon, and cream cheese. The  ginger adds a little spice and the lemon and cream cheese are very refreshing. It is a perfect balance of flavors that result in a truly delicious treat.

Buon Appetito!

Ginger Cheesecake Dessert 

prep: 40 min

total time: 1 hour 10 min

yield: 15 servings

calories: 360

fat grams: 18

1 pouch gingerbread cookie mix (water, butter, and egg as called for on package)

14 ounce sweetened, condensed milk

8 ounce cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. Make cookie dough as directed. Shape dough in to 5 (1 inch) dough balls. Bake 350 for 8 to 10 minutes. 
2. Press remaining dough into greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake 350 for 8 tho 10 minutes. 
3. Mix sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese and lemon juice until smooth. Fold in whipped topping, lemon juice until smooth. Fold in whipped toping. Spread over cooled cookie base. 
4. Crumble 5 baked cookies; sprinkle over cream cheese mixture. Cover; refrigerate to chill, about 1 hour. Garnish with lemon zest, if desired. 

Cooking 101 video: How to Cut in Butter

Here's a quick Cooking 101 demonstration on how to "cut in butter."

Thanks for watching!

Turtle Cookies

Here's some tantalizing Turtle cookies to tempt you today, which happens to be Tuesday! This post is brought to you by the letter T.

This recipe is a variation of Mom's Famous Cookies. This cookie recipe is so versatile. Simply mix the dough and add in your favorite candy chips like peanut butter, mint chocolate, white chocolate, or butterscotch; pretzels or dried fruit would also be a great addition. Turtles candies and dark chocolate chips added in the dough make for a truly tasty treat.

The dough can be mixed and stored in the fridge until ready to use. I usually make a batch, store in the fridge for up to a week, and then bake a few at a time as needed. This ensures that leftover cookies don't go to waste and also helps with portion control :) To freeze, scoop dough balls onto a cookie sheet or platter and place in freezer for about 30 minutes. Then remove frozen balls and store in the freezer in a freezer bag for up to six months. When ready to use, place frozen dough balls on a cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes or until done, or you can let the dough thaw and bake for 10 minutes.

Buon Appetito! 

Turtle Cookies

Source: Southern Living 

Prep: 30 minutes

Bake: 12 min

Yield: 40 cookies

Calories per cookie: 155

Fat grams per cookie: 8

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
•  2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (7 oz.) package milk chocolate-caramel-pecan clusters, coarsely chopped 
• 1 (12-oz.) packages dark chocolate morsels
• Parchment paper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Add eggs and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla, beating until blended.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until blended. Beat in morsels just until combined. Using a 2 Tbsp. cookie scoop or measuring spoon, drop onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

3. Bake at 350° for 10 to 14 minutes (I bake them 12 minutes) or until desired degree of doneness. Remove to wire racks, and cool completely (about 15 minutes).

Light Strawberry Flower Cake

In the words of Hannibal Smith, "I just love it when a plan comes together!"  About a week ago my friend Ginny and I were working out and discussing that our friend Leah's 30th birthday is today.  We knew that she wasn't thrilled about turning the big 3-0 so we decided to throw her a small surprise party.  We only had 5 days to plan the party since she will be out of town the weekend of her birthday and we wanted to do it before she left.  We brainstormed some ideas and came up with a plan.  We divided up the tasks and one of my jobs was to bake the cake.  Since strawberries are in season it was an easy decision to do a strawberry cake.

The hard part was deciding which strawberry cake recipe to choose.  I wanted to find an easy, light recipe.  I searched through some of my favorite sites and found Sweetheart Strawberry Cupcakes recipe at www.dashingdish.com.   Dashing Dish is one of my favorite food blogs.  The author truly has a heart for the Lord and she is so stinkin' adorable too!  All the recipes are her own creation and healthy.  So far, all the recipes I have tried have been great!


Her strawberry cupcake recipe couldn't be simpler.  It is just a strawberry box cake mix and red soda (diet or regular).  That's it! I had my doubts, but it was surprisingly good and really moist.


Instead of cupcakes, I planned to make a 2 layer cake, but I didn't let one of the layers cool completely after baking and when I tried to remove it from the cake pan it broke apart.  So I had to bake another cake mix and ended up using all 3 layers for the cake.  It was a yummy mistake since we got to eat the messed up layer, and it worked out for the best since three layers is really the perfect height for this cake.


After deciding on the cake recipe, I had to decide how to decorate it.  I am not a cake decorator.  So I needed a really simple design.  I searched through www.pinterest.com for ideas and came across a cake with a flower made from strawberries from Lick the Bowl Good  food blog.  She showed a step by step tutorial on how to make the flower.  It looked so easy I knew even I could do it.  Here's how.

Place sliced strawberries in a circle along the outer edge of the top of the cake.

Add another layer of sliced strawberries inside the outer layer of strawberries.

Repeat layering until cake is covered. Place a whole strawberry in the center to finish.

I added the white sprinkles by throwing them at the cake allowing them to stick where they landed. There were lots of little white balls all over my kitchen floor :) I also added strawberry halves along the base of the cake.

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I was so pleased with the final result!

The party turned out great and everything came together in just a few days.  I feel extremely blessed to have such good friends to share life's milestones.  Happy 30th Birthday Leah!!

Light Strawberry Cake 

adapted from: www.dashingdish.com

yield: 12 servings

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 strawberry box cake mixes

2 (12 oz.) cans or 3 cups diet or regular red soda

Icing:

12 oz. light Cool Whip

2 (1.4 oz.) sugar free vanilla pudding mixes

1 1/2 cup skim milk

Red or pink food coloring

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour cake pans. Beat cake mix and soda together until smooth and creamy.
• Divide the batter into four 8 or 9 inch cake pans. If you don't have four cake pans, divide the batter in half setting aside one half of the batter. Pour divided cake batter into two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans.
• Bake according to instructions on box.
• While cake is baking, mix together pudding mix, milk, Cool Whip, and food coloring. Slowly beat or whisk whipped topping until all of the ingredients are just combined. (Be careful not to over mix). Add as much food coloring you need in order to get the color you desire. Chill in fridge until ready to use.
• Allow the cakes to completely cool before removing from pan or you may end up with a yummy mistake like I did! Once cooled, dump onto cooling rack.
• Regrease and flour pans and bake the rest of the batter dividing it into the 2 pans. Since this is a three layer cake you will have one layer left over. One option is to make cupcakes instead of the fourth layer or make a four layer cake. You may need to prepare more icing than the recipe calls for.
• Bake layers/cupcakes according to box instructions. Allow to cool. Once the layers are completely cooled begin assembling the cake.
• Spread a layer of icing on top of the bottom layer. Place the second layer on top of the bottom layer. Spread a layer of icing on the second layer and place the third layer on top. Cover the cake with icing. The nice thing about whipped icing is that unlike buttercream it doesn't need to be smooth to look good. The messier, the better. Decorate with strawberries and sprinkles.

Tips:

• I baked the layers the day before and wrapped them individually in plastic wrap until I was ready to assemble the cake. This made the cake even moister than it would have been if I had served it the same day it was baked.
•  I placed a piece of wax paper under the cake and used the paper to turn the cake while icing it.  This made it much easier to decorate and maneuver the cake.  After decorating the cake I tore the wax paper so that it couldn't be seen.

Per Serving:

Calories: approx. 325 using regular soda 300 using diet soda

Fat: 5 grams

Buon Appetito!