The Sweetness of Summer Saturdays

Nothing says summer like strawberries and whipped cream. And nothing says Saturday like baking. Put them both together and we have the perfect way to spend our favorite day. With Strawberry Almond Cupcakes baking in our oven we are well on our way to a sweet summer Saturday.

Ingredients

• 1 box (18.25 oz) Strawberry Cake Mix

• 4 whole eggs

• 1 cup almond milk

• 2 tbs lemon juice

• 1/2 cup canola oil

• 1 tsp almond extract

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 1 tub Cool Whip
• Slices strawberries

Instructions

1 Combine cake mix, eggs, almond milk, oil and extracts in a mixing bowl, mix with a whisk attachment on high for 1 minute, until smooth. Stir in 1 cup sliced strawberries.

2 Pour into a prepared muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the tops spring back after being touched.

3 Allow cakes to cool on a wire rack before topping with cool whip and sliced strawberries!

*recipe inspired by Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts

Advertisement

Stingy Sweet

We know it’s nice to share. Heck we probably reinforce this idea several times a day with our children. However, this Saturday we are making a single serving double chocolate chip cookie. (It is the Sister Sweetly serving size, mind you. We have been known to double it! :)) This is the perfect recipe to make just a small goodie and still have room to dive head first into your kids’ leftover Halloween candy. This is where that sharing lessons applies!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons butter flavored Crisco
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar (or dark brown)
• 2 Tablespoons Egg Beaters
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup  all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium size bowl, mix Crisco and sugars together with a spoon or fork until creamed. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
3. In a separate small bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Fold in 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
4. Place the dough in the center of the baking sheet and mold into a tall ball using a spoon. Dot the top of the cookie with 1 Tablespoon of chocolate chips. Bake for 14-15 minutes, or up to 16 minutes. The cookie will appear very soft, but will firm up as it cools. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet.

*recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

Spooktacularly Sweet

Halloween is one of our most favorite times of the year. Why, you ask? Sweet treats galore, we answer! This Saturday we are baking up a treat with a little trick. It’s a simple one, but  guaranteed to give you the EEK factor. Spider Infested Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect snack to feed all of your hungry little ghosts and goblins.

Spider Infested Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

 Ingredients

3/4 cup Butter Flavored Crisco Stick
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup dark chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, cream together Crisco, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla using an electric mixer. Beat in egg until well combined.

Sift flour, salt, and baking soda together into a separate mixing bowl. With mixer on low speed, carefully add flour mixture 1/4 cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Add 1/2 cup of both kinds ofchocolate chips, stirring by hand.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough 3 inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet.

Place some of the reserved chocolate chips on top of each cookie just to be sure you have chips with which you can make your spiders.

Remember to keep about 1/2 cup of the dark chocolate chips for the spiders.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet after removing from oven, and transfer to a wire rack to allow cookies to cool completely.

Place 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips in a small microwave safe bowl. Heat for 20 seconds, stir, then for 15 seconds, stir. Allow the chocolate to sit for 1 minute, then stir again. If you need to, heat it for 10 more seconds, then repeat until melted. Pour into a squeeze-it mold painter bottle fitted with a #2 round pastry tip, or a disposable pastry bag or zip top bag with the tip snipped off.

Pipe on spider heads and legs around some of the larger chocolate chips. Allow to dry.

*Recipe adapted from Hungry Happening

*Chocolate chip cookie recipe adapted from Crisco Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Sweet Times Remembered

Do you remember where you were at this time in 1985? If so, it’s happening all over again! We have to admit that we can clearly remember what we were doing back then, but our memories have little recollection of the significance that surrounds all of the excitement around our city. You see, our local major league baseball team, the Kansas City Royals, have not been in the playoffs for the World Series in 29 years and this year they made it in and are doing spectacular! . We may not remember the baseball hype of the 80’s, but we definitely remember the snack bar! We thought this was the perfect time to make a popcorn treat. And what could be sweeter than one that tastes like grown up Cracker Jacks (prizes optional). This Saturday calls for munching on Vanilla Toffee Popcorn while being loyal and rooting for the Royals! Go KC!

Vanilla Toffee Popcorn

Ingredients

8 cups of popped popcorn

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 300F

Place 8 cups of popcorn in a large deep bowl.  Make sure that no unpopped kernels fall into the bowl!

Add the vanilla extract to the brown sugar and mix it in with your fingers, to break-up the clumps of vanilla.

Cook over a medium heat while stirring:

1 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of butter and 1/4 cup of light corn syrup in a pot over medium heat.

* Hold the baking soda until later…

Bring the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup to a boil. Keep stirring!

Let it sit for 5 minutes WITHOUT stirring.

Remove from the heat and add your 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.

Stir until you get a creamy looking color.

Pour that heavenly stuff onto your popcorn. Stir until the popcorn is evenly coated.

Place the popcorn on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Bake for 30 minutes at 300F.

After 30 minutes, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool.

The toffee should harden in 5-10 minutes.

Once it has cooled off, break the popcorn into bite-size pieces and enjoy!

*recipe found on A Bit of Bees Knees

 

 

Sweets Reimagined

Holy apples! Our fridge looks like Johnny Appleseed came for a visit! We have so many apples from our apple picking trip last weekend that it is necessary we apple treat again. Good thing there are so many yummy apple desserts. Apple crisp is #1 in our opinion. But we discovered a recipe that can top it, Cookie Butter Apple Crisp baked in cute little jars. Individual servings, we’ll take two please!

Cookie Butter Apple Crisp

 

Ingredients (2 servings)

For the apple filling:

• 1 large apple (or 2 smaller apples), peeled, cored, and chopped
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2-3 dashes of nutmeg
• For the cookie butter crisp
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp chilled butter, cubed
• 2 tbsp cookie butter
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the apples through the nutmeg for the apple filling. Set aside.

In another small bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, cinnamon, and brown sugar for the crisp topping. Cut in the chilled butter until the mixture is crumbly. Now mix in the cookie butter. Set aside.

Spray the insides of two 12 oz glass jars with cooking spray. Evenly distribute the apple filling between the two jars. Now top each jar with the cookie butter crisp dough.

Place both filled jars in a baking pan and fill with about an inch of water.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the apples are bubbly and the crisp topping is golden brown.

All to cool to warm before serving.

Top with whipped cream or ice cream, if you wish.

*recipe found on The Frugal Foodie Mama

Sweet Goals Set High

Around here summer vacation is nearing the end. So is our list of new, exciting, yet inexpensive ideas to fill each day (and night by that matter).  It’s time to shake things up . This Saturday we are taking our sweet treat to a whole new level. How far will we go? We’re aiming as high as we can get on the sugar meter! Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Cookies are sure to help us reach that goal.  Don’t judge. If you’re a mom you know how we feel. Take it from us, sometimes a little (ok A LOT) of chocolate is all you need to survive!

Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup  brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1 and 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
• 16-17  Rolos
• coarse sea salt

Directions:

Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed for about 20 seconds. Add the sugars with the mixer running on medium speed. Cream it all together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

In a separate medium size bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. Slowly add to the wet ingredients. Stir in the milk, then fold in the dark chocolate chips. The dough will be thick and very sticky. Chill for at least 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper . Set aside.

Take 2 Tablespoons of chilled dough and split in half and roll each into a ball with your hands. Stick a caramel into 1 ball of dough. Top the caramel with the other ball of dough and seal down the sides so that the caramel is securely stuffed inside. Repeat with the rest of the dough and 18 caramel candies. Sprinkle each with sea salt before putting into the oven.

Bake for 12-13 minutes. Cookies will appear undone and very soft. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

*recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

Naturally Sweet

Have you ever gone blueberry picking? We just did for the first time and it was wonderful. It is the perfect family outing. It doesn’t get much better than finding some of nature’s gems outside on a summer day with your most favorite people in the world. Plus you get to take your treasures home and make sweet treats with them. We decided to make a treat similar to one we used to enjoy years ago.  Remember back in the good ole days when Starbucks made delicious, melt in your mouth Crumbleberry Bars (and served Frappucinos that actually tasted good)?  If you don’t, then you’re in luck. We may have found a recipe for Crumbleberry Muffins so yummy it mimics Starbucks.  We are still trying to figure out the recipe to the original Frappucinos. We’ll let you know the secret if we do! In the meantime enjoy the sweet side of nature.

Crumbleberry Muffins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup blueberries
• 3/4 cup blackberries
• 3/4 cup sliced strawberries
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
• In a small bowl, combine berries, sugar and cornstarch; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg, vanilla and cold butter, using your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.
• Spread 2/3 of the batter into each muffin cup. Spread berry mixture evenly over the bottom layer. Sprinkle with remaining 1/3 of the batter and sugar.
• Place into oven and bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before cutting into bars.

Recipe adapted from Damn Delicious

 

Sweetly Celebrating the USA

It’s Independence Day and we are celebrating the good ole USA! What’s more American than pie? However, we’re not making your ordinary, run of the mill apple pie. We need a treat so tasty it’s worthy of sending firecrackers to our taste buds. We can’t think of a better way to show our patriotic spirit and honor our country than with our red, white, and blue festive Fourth Of July Chocolate Chip Pie! Time to party!

Fourth Of July Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Butter Flavored Crisco
  1 large egg
  3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  1/4 cup granulated sugar
  1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  pinch salt,
  1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  about 1/2 cup M&Ms (We picked out the red, blue, and brown ones)
  about 1/4 cup Mini Rolos

Directions:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9-inch pie dish very well with cooking spray; set aside.
  2. In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
  3. Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, sugars, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
  4. Add the flour, optional salt, and stir until just combined; don’t overmix.
  5. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  6. Add about 1/4 cup M&Ms and stir to combine; reserve remainder.
  7. Turn batter out into prepared pie dish, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
  8. Evenly add the remaining M&Ms to the top of the batter, pushing them down slightly to anchor.
  9. Evenly insert the Mini  Rolos into the batter, pushing them down so the top is almost flush with the surface of the dough.
  10. Bake for about 24 to 26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.  If your pie has risen in the center, it will deflate as it cools. Allow pie to cool in dish for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

 

*Recipe adapted from www.averiecooks.com

 

 

Appreciating the Sweet Stuff

I, Trina, have been calling in lots of favors around here lately since my son had his tonsils out a few days ago. We are truly blessed with wonderful family and friends who are very willing to help us out. Now what to do to show our appreciation? Bake treats, of course! I tried a new recipe and I declare Heath Bits Peanut Butter Cookies the perfectly sweet way to say THANKS!

Heath Bits Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1-1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/3 cups (8 oz. pkg.) HEATH BITS ‘O BRICKLE Toffee Bits, divided

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. Beat shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add egg; beat just until blended. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. Stir in 1 cup bits; reserve remainder for topping.

3. Drop by heaping teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet; top each with reserved bits.

4. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until set. Do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 36 cookies.

*Recipe: www.hersheys.com

 

Dulce Tratar (Spanish for sweet treat)

This Saturday we are celebrating Cinco de Mayo a few days early. We’ve come up with a menu so that everyone gets to enjoy their favorite Mexican style foods: tacos, guacamole, homemade chunky salsa, and queso dip. You know we had to throw in a special dessert to finish off a fabulous meal. Enter…congo bars! Sugary, sweet, warm goodness. What’s better than that? No mucho (not much), we say!

Congo Bars (The Sister Sweetly Way)

Preheat oven to 350 F

Grease a 9″x13″ baking pan.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 1/2 sticks butter

2 t. vanilla

1 3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar

3 eggs, large

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup Heath bits

1 cup dark chocolate M&Ms

Directions:

Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside.

Combine the melted butter and brown sugar in a mixer bowl and mix well.

Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter/sugar mixture, mixing well after each egg.

Add the vanilla.

Mix in the flour, salt and baking powder and mix.

Using a spatula, stir in the chocolate chips, Heath bits, and M&Ms until incorporated. Spread in pan.

Bake for about 25 minutes – touch the top of the congo bars gently – they should be golden and firm to the touch in the middle.

Let cool on a baking rack before cutting into squares.

*Recipe adapted from She’s in the Kitchen