Easter Recipes 2013

.  Easter is this weekend, my dear readers.  Can you believe it?  I still stand strong with my notion that it's just not right to have Easter in March.  But what can you do about it?  I'll tell you...nuttin.'  I guess it's just a weekend or two sooner that we get to chow down on those dishes our families save especially for the holidays.  Can't complain about that!

I'm sure many of you have already started planning your spread [or maybe not!].  But in my usual fashion, I'd thought it'd be fun to share a few Easter recipes I have on LSM that have possibly gotten buried beneath the other posts.  It never hurts to have one more dish, right?  I also threw in a few breakfast/brunch recipes for those of you having family/visitors in town.  I stuck with things that are easy to throw together and some that can be prepared the night before so your mornings aren't any more hectic than they need to be.  

I'm actually heading back to Minne[sota] Tuesday night [I took the rest of the week off from work, yippee!] to be with my family one last time in the city I still call home.  A lot has been going on lately and I know I've forgotten to mention that my parents are moving back to Seattle this April.  It's been an absolute blessing for them to move closer to all of our family but I know my parents are also quite sad to be leaving behind their friends they've known for ages.  But I guess that'll make for some fun visits!

Anywho, more to come on that later.  I'm excited to get back to the Woodhood to see my besties and spend some quality time with my parentals.  Hope you all have a blessed and relaxing Easter weekend, until next week!  .

Easter Carrot Cupcakes

Apple Butter Monkey Bread

French Toast Casserole

Carrot Tea Cake

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Danish Puff

Carrot Cake Cookies

Hummingbird Cupcakes

Baked Carrot Cake Donuts

Cadbury Creme Fudge

Bacon, Egg, and Toast Cups

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

Secret Recipe Club: Creamy Smoked Salmon Dip

.  Annnnnnnd.

It's SRC time.

This month I was assigned a scrumptiously interesting and bilingual blog: Canela Kitchen.  Yes, a bilingual blog.  Who knew?!

Anywho, searching through Canela Kitchen recipes made my mouth water from the vast array of appetizers, desserts [more mousses and puddings than I thought possible!], soups, and so much more.  But Canela Kitchen has been in existence since 2007, so of course they have loads to share!  And back to this bilingual thing, each and every post written in English is followed up by the same post written in Spanish.  Nifty, huh?!  Very internationally friendly.

But when I stumbled upon the Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Dip recipe, there was no need to search any further.  I was hooked from the moment I saw 'smoked salmon.'

And it is official this dip has made it on to my go-to appetizer recipes.  HOLY SMOKES, this dip is too good, if that's even possible.  But I guess any time you throw smoked salmon into the mix, it's gotta be good.  Plus some salty capers, crunchy onions, refreshing cucumbers, tangy dill, and a creamy base.  On a baguette.  Hmm, guess who won't be sharing?

The great thing about this dip [aside from the fact that it's so dang tasty], is that you're turning a potentially expensive appetizer into one that's much more affordable.  I mean, we all know smoked salmon isn't cheap.  So mixing it into a dip really spreads the salmon much further [pun intended].  I'm totally envisioning this dip in our Easter spread this year.  Yes, my family, you will get to enjoy this creation just as I have.  Lucky ducks.

Thanks again, Canela Kitchen, for a superb dip recipe!  Until next month, SRCers!  .

Adapted from Canela Kitchen

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 c. light sour cream

6 oz. smoked salmon, chopped

2 tbsp. dill, chopped

1 tbsp. capers, chopped

1/2 of a red onion, chopped

1/2 of an english cucumber, seeded and chopped

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. chives, chopped (garnish)

1 French baguette, sliced

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Fold in sour cream, smoked salmon, dill, capers, red onion, cucumber, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice, until thoroughly combined.  Transfer to serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate one hour.
2. Garnish with chives and serve with sliced bread.

National Pi Day!

.  3.14.

March 14.

Get it yet??

If you don't, we may need to have some words.  Or maybe it's just a nerdy baker thing.  Who knows!

But regardless, it's National Pi Day and that means only one thing: Pies.  So in honor of this wondrous holiday [yep, it's official] I've compiled a couple of my favorite pie recipes made by, drum roll please.....me! 

Duh.  You should have seen that coming.

So enjoy scrolling through the next few pics and don't be shy, get to whipping one up!  Trust me, they're easier than they look.  Happy Pi day everyone!  .

Blueberry Nectarine Pie

Cherry Cheesecake Pie

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Bumbleberry Pie

Mini Fruit Pies

Cadbury Creme Fudge

.  Did anyone else realize that Easter is in March this year?

Not gonna lie, it just seems wrong.  I didn't even know that Easter in March was actually possible.  Well Easter has shown me up obviously.

But regardless, I guess it's about time I pop out an Easter post then, eh?  Can you tell that I've been working on publishing themed posts prior to the actual holiday?  Usually the special days creep up on me so you don't see the recipes that go with the event until after the holiday is over.  Oopsies!

However, I managed to knock out an Easter holiday well in advance this year.  And probably because it's a recipe I pinned last year before Easter but for one reason or another never got to making it.  My bad.

And I'm still not sure why I would put off making one of the most iconic treats known to Easter.  I mean really, who doesn't love those Cadbury Creme Eggs?!  And if you don't, I don't know what you like then.  Because those chocolate cases surrounding creamy, sugary goodness are one of  a kind.  And deliciously addicting.  If it weren't for the fact that you know you probably shouldn't be eating handfuls of them, then I would.  Eat handfuls of them, that is.  Especially those caramel ones.  Nummyyyy!

Anywho, this 'fudge' is super easy.  I'm not quite sure I would call it fudge but at the moment I'm at a loss for another name.  But it's easy because it's a couple of layers of a couple of ingredients and voila, your very own Cadbury creation!

Now I'll be honest [because that's what we do here], this recipe wasn't exactly what I hoped it would be [see My Notes below...].  But ironically, Robbie [who is the KING of all things Cadbury] actually loved these.  He said 'if you like Cadbury Eggs, you'll like these.  They taste just like the real ones.'  And that's a direct quote, no if's, and's, or but's.

So if you're wise, which I know you are, you'll take Robbie's word and get to whippin' this 'fudge' together.  Your Cadbury-lovers will bow at your feet ☺  .

My Notes:

• The only 'issue' I had with this 'fudge' is the texture.  The [white/yellow] filling was a little thicker than I think I was expecting.  I also think it would be interesting to use milk chocolate chips rather than semisweet to really give it that sweet chocolate flavor.  Lastly, I found that this is the best at room temperature, because the filling gets really gooey and the chocolate is nice and soft.
• I poured over this recipe quite a bit afterwards because I felt like I could have made it a bit more presentable.  One of the ideas I came up with was using a mini muffin tin and layering the chocolate and filling.  Then you'd end up with a nice little layered Cadbury fudge piece.  Cute, huh?!
• I did find that the fudge was a bit hard to cute due to the thickness of the chocolate.  So be sure to use a good knife and odds are you won't get perfectly clean cut pieces.  But it still tastes just as good!

From Raising 4 Princesses

Ingredients:

1/2 c. light corn syrup

1/4 c. butter, at room temperature

3 c. powdered sugar

Yellow Food Coloring

1/4 tsp. salt (optional)

2 c. semisweet or milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Line a 8-inch baking dish with wax paper; set aside until ready to use.  In a medium bowl, beat together the light corn syrup and butter.  Slowly mix in powdered sugar and salt until combined [mixture will be very thick].  
2. Separate one third of the mixture and place into a small bowl.  Add the yellow food coloring until you reach the desired color.
3. Press the white filling into the prepared pan and top with the yellow filling.
4. In another medium bowl, melt chocolate chips in microwave until smooth.  Pour the chocolate over the white and yellow filling and spread evenly.
5. Refrigerate for a couple of hours or until firm before cutting and serving.

Yield: 24 servings

Lucky Leaf Pie Filling GIVEAWAY and Mini Fruit Pies

.  Yep, you betcha!

I have another Lucky Leaf Pie Filling giveaway!  And just in time for Valentine's Day.  I'm always thinking of you guys.  How nice of me ☺ 

You may have caught my previous Lucky Leaf Pie Filling giveaway and fortunate for me, Lucky Leaf tapped me on my shoulder to do a second one!  And because giveaways are simply exciting [we gotta switch it up every now and then around here, right?] and Lucky Leaf Pie Fillings are just so dang scrumptious, there was no way I was passing this up.

Like before, Lucky Leaf sent me a lovely package filled with three pie fillings [strawberry, blueberry, and apple], three recipe cards, a bakery bag, and a Rachel Ray 6-cup Muffin Pan.  Uh huh, it was an awesome gift I got in the mail.

One of the recipes cards I received was for Mini Pies and I opted for this choice because 1) pies are my absolute fav to eat and make and 2) my wonderful friend was having a Super Bowl party with some fancy homemade dishes.  Remember the gourmet cook I mentioned in a prior post?  Well it only seemed fitting to add to her spread with something that deserved to accompany her gourmet-ness, and lattice-crust pies are always a winner.  At least in my book.  Oh, and don't forget that these would be the most perfect Valentine's Day dessert.  Eh, eh?!

Anywho, I must say these pies went over rather well!  The recipe only made a dozen but there wasn't a crumb left in the house by the end of the night.  That's a good sign, right?

I of course chose to make a homemade [super easy] buttery pie crust and filled each with the delectable Lucky Leaf Pie Filling.  I decided on making Strawberry and Blueberry Mini pies simply for variety but the colors also went with the teams playing in the big game [i.e., red for the Niners and purple for the Ravens].  Like that?!  Then I topped the fillings with a fun lattice top and voila, mini fruit pies for everyone!

So enough chatting and let's get to this giveaway, shall we?!  Let's see what one lucky reader will win:

1 can of Lucky Leaf Pie Filling

1 recipe card

Festive muffin cup papers

1 bakery bag

And like usual, it's rather easy to partipicate.  All you need to do is leave a comment on this post below telling me what your favorite kind of pie is!  And to earn some additional entries, follow Lucky Leaf on Facebook, Pinterest, and/or Twitter, and leave separate comments telling me you did so.  The giveaway will be open until Saturday, February 23, so get commentin'!  And don't forget to spread the word!  .

My Notes:

• I chose to make a homemade pie crust, but if you're in a complete bind for time, feel free to use store bought crust.

 Pie Crust from A Passion for Baking

Ingredients:

All Butter Pie Crust:

3 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening, cut into chunks

1 large egg

4 to 8 tbsp. ice water

1 tbsp. lemon juice

Lucky Leaf Baby Pies Recipe

Directions:

1. For crust, place flour in food processor.  Add sugar and salt and process 20 seconds to combine.  Add chunks of butter and shortening and pulse to break up butter until mixture looks crumbly
2. Add egg and drizzle ice water and lemon juice on top.  Turn on food processor for 15 seconds until mixture more or less holds together.  
3. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and knead very gently for a few seconds to smooth out dough.  Divide dough ball in half, pat each ball into disks, and wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill dough for 1 hour or overnight before using.
4. Refer to the Lucky Leaf Baby Pies Recipe for the assembly instructions.

Yield: 4 single pie crusts

Fudgey Cosmic Brownies

.  It's safe to say that this is the first time I have ever gotten a holiday recipe out to you earlier than the day of the actual holiday.  Mmhmm.  I feel accomplished.  And like a planner.

If you are one of those who browse other blogs [my hand is raised high!], then you undoubtedly have seen a slew of Valentine's Day recipes, including comforting savory dishes and of course: chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate.  So why not add to the mix?  If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

But these aren't just your good ol' classic brownies.

Nope, not even close.  These fudgey-wudgey brownies were molded after our childhood favorite Cosmic Brownies.  You know, those two-brownie packs that we all took to elementary school and chowed on during snack time?  Okay, maybe that was only me.  And I'm not kidding.  My mom used to get the brownies with nuts on them though, and I would meticulously pick them off every time.  Every.  Time.  She never got the hint though.

But regardless, that never stopped me from eating those decadent, chewy, chocolate-frosted brownies.  And this recipe is a spot on knock off.  In the best way possible, that is.

Seriously, these brownies are addicting.  Outrageously rich and uber fudgey brownies.  Accompanied by a simple yet luscious and smooth chocolate ganache.  They're that unique brownie recipe you're always searching for but never find.  But you can thank me later.  After you eat your fair share of the pan, of course.  And don't forget to give a bite or two to your Valentine...

Speaking of Valentine's Day, anyone have lovey dovey plans yet?!  I'll actually be in New York City [woop, woop!] for the special day but I ain't complainin.'  Matter of fact, I can't wait for the next two weeks to get over with.  I know, live in the moment.  But c'mon, it's NYC!  More to come on that though as my trip nears.  I'l try to keep my excitement to a minimum...maybe  .

My Notes:

• I loved the deep, dark chocolate flavor of these brownies.  But if you're not a dark chocolate fan, I would opt to switch out the bittersweet chocolate in the ganache with something a bit lighter, such as semisweet chocolate.  
• You may notice I don't have any sprinkles on my brownies [cosmic, my butt], but that's because I only had Christmas-colored sprinkles at my house and those were just not appropriate.  Next time I'll be more prepared.

From une gamine dans la cuisine

Ingredients:

Brownies:

1 c. sugar

2/3 c. light brown sugar

3/4 c. unsalted butter, melted

2 tbsp. milk

2 eggs, at room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1-1/2 tsp. espresso powder

1-1/3 c. all purpose flour

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

 Ganache:

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Pinch of salt

Sprinkles, nuts, etc. (optional for topping)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Lightly spray a 13x9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, light brown sugar, melted butter, milk, vanilla extract, and espresso powder.  Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.  Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined.  Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
3. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with only a few moist crumbs (try to avoid over baking!).  Remove brownies from oven and let cool
4. Meanwhile, for ganache, place chopped chocolate into a small bowl.  In a small saucepan,  bring heavy whipping cream to a simmer.  Pour the heavy whipping cream over the chocolate and sprinkle with salt.  Let the chocolate sit in the cream for 3 to 5 minutes and then using a small whisk, stir the chocolate until mixture is smooth.
5. Spread the ganache evenly over the brownies.  Sprinkle ganache with your choice of toppings, if using.  Refrigerate brownies until completely cooled before serving.

Yield: 2 dozen brownies

My Best Fraaaaan and Eggnog Truffles

.  So...guess what?

I can barely sit still in my seat long enough to type out this post.  And you wanna know why?

Because my BEST FRIEND in the whole entire world [I sound like I'm 5] is visiting me in Omaha.  And yes, I've been counting down the days until her arrival.  I was that pumped.

Obviously you will not hear from me for the rest of the weekend because we shall be too busy catching up on anything and everything.  And having a grand time while doing so.  We always have too much fun together so who knows what the next couple of days will bring.

So since this is a short and sweet post, I figured this would be a great opportunity to leave you with a recipe that is just as short and even sweeter.  I made these Eggnog Truffles while I was in Washington for Christmas and I really can't believe I haven't gotten these out to you sooner.  I'm slowly, but very surely, becoming a truffle addict.  I seriously love them in all of their rich, creamy glory.  And I'm an eggnog fanatic, so needless to say these are one of my favorite truffles to date. 

Which brings me to a rather ironic point: these truffles don't contain any eggnog.  Nope.  Not a drop.  Rather, they're perfectly flavored by white chocolate and those crucial eggnog spices.  I kid you not.  Craziness, huh?  No one could believe they didn't have any eggnog in them!

Anywho, I must get going.  Have a wonderful weekend! I know we will!!  .

Adapted from Taste and Tell

  

Ingredients:

2 lbs. white baking chocolate

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. imitation rum extract

Directions:

1.  Melt 1 pound of the white chocolate according to the package directions.  In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, nutmeg, and rum extract until smooth.  Add in melted white chocolate and beat until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate mixture until firm (about 4 hours).
2. Shape the mixture into balls (size depends on how big or small you'd like; I used a very scant teaspoonful).  Place balls on a wax-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until firm.
3. Melt the remaining 1 pound of white chocolate in a large bowl.  Using two spoons, dip each truffle in the chocolate and place back onto the lined baking sheet to dry.  Sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired.

Yield: 3 dozen truffles

Eggnog Fudge

.  Take it or leave it.

It's that simple.

When it comes to eggnog.

Am I right or am I right?  My conclusion is that you either love eggnog or you despise it.  There really is no in between with this distinctly thick and rich holiday beverage.  Personally, I'm an eggnog lover.  But I've definitely come across my share of haters.  So if you're the latter, I'd love for you continue reading my post but I'm fairly certain you won't find this fudge appealing.  Sowwy, guys.

But hey, if you're still here, you made a wise choice.  I was overly pleased with this fudge because not only is it oozing with eggnog goodness, but it's legit!  Sweet, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth fudge.  All of the key qualities a fine fudge must possess, right?  Correct.  And it doesn't get much more holiday-esque than eggnog. 

I had a hunch this was a smash recipe because it uses marshmallow fluff, and I'm a firm believer it's the key ingredient.  My first fudge attempt was for an SRC post, Cherry Walnut Fudge, and that recipe included marshmallow fluff as well.  And...it was the best fudge I'd ever had.  Let alone made.  The author of the recipe attributed the delectable-ness to the marshmallow fluff, so I'm stickin' with that.  And this Eggnog Fudge follows suit.

So how to describe this festive treat?  Well...it's rich and sweet.  The eggnog itself is complemented by white chocolate, marshmallow fluff, and salty butter.  And putting that all into one bowl will surely give you something scrumptious, but small bites are all you're going to need.  Well, you'll probably end up eating a lot of those little bites.  But hey, who's counting?  It's the holidays!  .

My Notes:

• Be patient when making the fudge.  It will probably take several minutes to get the temperature where it's supposed to be, but it'll be worth it because you'll get the most perfect consistency!

From Chocolate, Chocolate and More

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter

2 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

3/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. eggnog

2 c. sugar

10 oz. white chocolate chips

1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Line a 9x9-inch pan with foil; set aside.
2. Combine butter, heavy whipping cream, eggnog, and sugar in a medium saucepan.  Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Once boiling, reduce heat a bit and using a candy thermometer, continue cooking until temperature reaches 234°F.  Remove pan from heat and stir in white chocolate chips until completely melted and blended in.  Add in marshmallow creme, nutmeg, and vanilla extract.  Stir until smooth and pour into pan.
3. Sprinkle top with additional nutmeg (if desired).  Let cool to room temperature before removing from pan and cutting into small pieces (I found it best to put the fudge into the refrigerator to cool).

Yield: 32 servings