Apple Pie Roll Ups

I have mentioned time and time again how much I love Fall and especially Fall baking! This weekend I decided to try this simple recipe for "Apple Pie Roll Ups". This turned out wonderfully and they are super easy to make. I would suggest making these for the holidays or even for a tailgate! Check out the recipe below. Happy Monday!

Apple Pie Roll Ups:

Ingredients:

10 slices white bread

1 can apple pie filling

⅓ cup melted butter

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut the crusts off your bread and roll each slice flat with a rolling pin. 

3. Combine cinnamon and sugar on a small plate.

4. Pour the apple pie filling onto a plate and chop it so the pieces are smaller. 

5. Put about 2 tablespoons apple pie filling on each slice of bread and roll up.

6. Dip each piece into melted butter (I poured a tiny bit of butter into a "butter dish" and just rolled in there) and then roll in the cinnamon sugar.

7. Place seam side down on a parchment lined pan and bake 15 minutes or until browned and crispy. 

8. Serve warm.

(original recipe found here)

Lots of Love,  Natalie

Ooey Gooey White Chocolate Rice Krispy Treats

Rice Krispy treats are extremely easy to make so I wanted to add a little something extra to make them different. I thought what better to add than white chocolate to make this recipe even more ooey and gooey! I would highly recommend trying this recipe out! 

Ooey Gooey White Chocolate Chip Rice Krispy Treats:

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter

4 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows

6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal

1 1/2 cup White Chocolate Chips 

Directions:

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Stir in White Chocolate Chips until completely coated.
4. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.

(original recipe here without chocolate chips)

Lots of Love,  Natalie

Peach and Blueberry Greek Yogurt Cake

I promised there would be another Blueberry recipe this week, well ladies and gentlemen here it is. This dessert is full of summer flavor with fresh blueberries and peaches. The Greek yogurt makes this cake lighter and still just sweet enough. I will admit this was my first time baking with Greek yogurt and after this recipe turning out so great I will for sure be trying different recipes with Greek yogurt. Go ahead and give this summery recipe a try!

Peach and Blueberry Greek Yogurt Cake:

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 stick butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 peaches, sliced into wedges
• 6 oz blueberries
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Grease the side and the bottom of the pan with butter or cooking spray. Line the bottom of a 9x3-inch springform pan (or 9 inch round cake pan) with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper too.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, together into a medium bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, beat butter, sugar, and 2 eggs until very light in color and fluffy, 2-3 minutes on high speed. Add vanilla and Greek yogurt and continue beating until very creamy and light in color, for about 1 more minute.
4. Keeping the mixer speed low, mix in the flour mix until combined. Do not overmix.
5. Transfer the cake batter to the springform pan. Top with sliced peaches, and scatter blueberries evenly on top in the spaces between the peach slices. Sprinkle the fruit with 1 teaspoon granulated sugar.
6. Bake until cake turns golden, and the tester comes out clean in the center, about 1 hour, depending on your oven. Midway through baking, I like to put some extra peach slices and extra blueberries on top of the cake for prettiness, and return cake to baking.
7. When the cake is done baking, let it cool (still in the baking pan) on a wire rack. After cake has cooled for about 40 minutes, release the cake from the springform pan. At this point, if the cake is cool enough, you can slide your hand under the cake, between the parchment paper and the bottom portion of the springform pan and move the cake with the parchment paper attached to its bottom onto a cake plate easily.
8. If using a 9 inch round cake pan, cook in pan for about 40 minutes or more (up to 1 hour, depending on your oven), then invert onto a plate.

Lots of Love,  Natalie

Summer Blueberry Crisp

Blueberries are the perfect summer fruit. I have been loving them so much this summer that I will be posting another blueberry dessert recipe next week also! This "Summer Blueberry Crisp" is perfect for a summer night because it is extremely easy to throw together and takes only 45 minutes total from prep to table. This recipe is also gluten free which makes it just a little lighter but still heavy on flavor. Be sure to check out the recipe below and I hope to see you here again tomorrow. 

Summer Blueberry Crisp:

Ingredients:

1 cup old fashioned oats (use gluten free oats to make this gluten free)

1/2 cup almond meal

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 tbsp melted coconut oil

1/2 tsp salt

5 cups fresh and washed blueberries

2 tsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice

2 tsp lemon zest

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Add oats, almond meal, almonds, maple syrup, coconut oil, and salt to a mixing bowl, and toss until combined.

3. Set aside.

4. Pour blueberries into an 8x8inch baking dish. 

5. Top evenly with lemon juice and lemon zest, and toss until combined and lightly coated. 

6. Sprinkle the oat crisp mixture evenly on top of the berries.

7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the topping is crisp and golden and the fruit is bubbling. 

8. Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and serve immediately.

Lots of Love,  Natalie

Red, White, and Blueberry Trifle

This Fourth of the July the dessert we made was this Red, White, and Blueberry Trifle. This dessert is super easy and looks very festive. The best parts about this recipe is that it requires no baking and can be prepared a day in advance. Check out this super easy recipe below!

Red, White, and Blueberry Trifle:

Ingredients:

1 Angel Food Cake

2 tubs of Whipped Topping

1 box Vanilla Instant Pudding plus milk

1 container of Strawberries

1 container of Blueberries

Directions:

1. Break or cut Angel Food Cake into pieces.

2. Place on bottom layer.

3. Mix pudding as directed on box, place in fridge to set.

4. Then fold in 1 tub of Whipped Topping.

5. Spoon over cake layer.

6. Then slice and add strawberries and blueberries on top of pudding.

7. Add a layer of Whipped Topping, about ½ the container. 

8. Then repeat layers.

9. Top with blueberries and strawberries.

10. Chill, eat, and enjoy!

Lots of Love, Natalie

Homemade Girl Scout Thin Mints

With it being Girl Scout cookie season I was inspired to try and make some Homemade Thin Mints. The recipe I found was surprisingly very easy! Since it was so easy and these turned out wonderful I knew I just had to share it with you. Check out the recipe for these Homemade Thin Mints below. Now that I have conquered Thin Mints I think the next Girl Scout Cookies I will try to make will be Samoas. Happy Thursday! See you tomorrow for my weekly favorites to end the week. 

 Homemade Thin Mint Cookies:

Ingredients:

20 Oreos 

1 teaspoon peppermint extract 

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (or white chocolate)

Instructions:

1. Separate Oreos and scrape off the white cream. Line a baking sheet with wax or other nonstick paper.

2. Combine chocolate and peppermint extract in a microwave safe bowl. Heat chocolate until completely melted in 30 second intervals or heat with the help of a double boiler.

3. Place one oreo half at a time into the chocolate and flip over with the help of a fork. Once completely coated, remove cookie half from chocolate with the fork and tap it on the edge of the bowl a couple of times (to get rid of the excess chocolate). Place on prepared baking sheet and repeat. 

4. Place in the fridge and let set for 15 minutes before enjoying.

link to original recipe click here

Lots of Love, Natalie

Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

I have been away for awhile and I apologize but I have recently started a new job at a doctor's office. I plan to be posting more regularly now that I am starting to get a handle on the new job. Yesterday was a rainy long day so I decided to bake to pass the time. After looking at what I had on hand I came up with a Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. This was my first time making a buttercream frosting. I think it turned out pretty good for a first time but the next time I have things I would change. I hope you enjoy it! 

Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

Ingredients:

1 box of Duncan Hines Chocolate Cake Mix

3 eggs

water

vegetable oil

2 sticks unsalted butter (softened)

1 pound of confectioner's sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 teaspoons milk or cream

Directions:

1. Follow the directions on the back of the box.

2. After baking the cake, let it cool.

3. While the cake is cooling start making the frosting.

4. Whip butter and vanilla extract at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. 

5. Add 3 teaspoons of milk or cream and powdered sugar.

6. Continue mixing on medium speed until well combined and fluffy.

7. Add milk and cream one teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

8. Frost cake and enjoy!

Lots of Love,  Natalie

Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries

As a little Valentine happy I made my homemade Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberries with White Chocolate drizzle. I took these to work for my last full day as the manager at Fresh Ink. Before you lose you mind I have not left them for good. What does that mean for you? It means there will still be fun pictures of fabulous stationery and all of my favorite new candles and small gifts! I couldn't leave them just yet. I should also let you in on the wonderful news I received last week...I got accepted into Nursing School!!! Also along with that I started a new job with an amazing and very accomplished doctor here in Jackson. Anyway lets get down to the recipe since I know that is what brought you here!

Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries:

Ingredients:

1 bag Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips

1 bag Nestle Premier White Morsels

2 packages of strawberries

Directions:

1. Use a double boiler to melt your dark chocolate chips.

2. Melt them over a medium heat, that way the chocolate melts and stays smooth and not clumpy.

3. Use a damp paper towel to clean your strawberries.

4. Then dip your strawberries into the melt chocolate.

5. Let cool on wax paper.

6. Once cooled, melt the premier white chocolate.

7. Use a fork to drizzle the melted white chocolate over the strawberries.

8. Let cool.

9. Enjoy!

Lots of Love,  Natalie