Peaches and Cream

Last night I tried a new dessert recipe that my aunt had sent my mom, called Peaches and Cream. Oh my word, was it good! So good in fact that I convinced myself that it was kind of like coffee cake and had it for breakfast this morning. My kids kind of gave me the side-eye as I ate dessert for breakfast but it was worth it.

Like a cross between cheesecake and cobbler, this dessert is sure to win you friends, or at least start end your day right.

printable recipe

Peaches and Cream

1 (3 oz) package vanilla pudding (not instant, you need the cook and serve kind for this recipe)
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1 egg
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup milk
1 (15 oz) can of sliced peaches
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup + 1 tsp sugar, divided
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Combine pudding, flour, baking powder, salt, egg, butter, and milk in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Beat for 2 minutes then spread in a greased 8x8 inch square pan or 9 inch deep pie pan.

Drain the peaches, reserving the juice, and arrange on top of the fruit.

If you're feeling frisky, sprinkle a couple of handfuls of blueberries (fresh or frozen) on top.

Combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and 3 Tbsp peach juice. Spoon on top of fruit.

Mix together the remaining tsp of sugar and the cinnamon.

Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of cream cheese.

Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes, until cake mixture is golden on the edges.

Let cool down a bit, then serve warm. If you're impatient like I am and try to dig in too soon, you will end up with an (albeit delicious) mess.

However, if you let it sit up a bit it will lend itself to more tidy serving.









Linking:

Grasshopper Bars

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

If I was more creative, my kids would be sporting cool green hairdos today ala this mom. Alas, my kids have to settle for normal hair and eating this fun mint dessert.



I have been craving Grasshopper Bars, or mint brownies, for awhile now. My own mom made these treats for us growing up and they are just as good as I remembered!

A little goes a long way with these, they're pretty rich!

Click here for my entire St. Patrick's Day menu and shopping list.

printable recipe

Grasshopper Bars

Brownies:
1 brownie mix, prepared according to package directions. I like to follow the more "cake-like" directions for this recipe, if you have that option.

Filling:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp mint extract
green food coloring

Frosting:
1 cup (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup butter

Prepare and bake brownies according to package directions in greased 13x9 inch pan. Set aside to cool.

In medium bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese for the filling, until light and fluffy.

Add powdered sugar, mint extract, and a few drops of food coloring. Beat until smooth.

Spread the green filling on the cooled pan of brownies.

In a small bowl, melt butter and chocolate chips together in microwave. Heat on high for 30 seconds, stir, then heat and stir in 10 second intervals until smooth.

Spread chocolate frosting over mint filling. Refrigerate for at least an hour, or until firm.

Cut into small squares and serve.

Texas Sheet Cake

Hi everybody. Today I would like to introduce you to my dear friend, Texas Sheet Cake. This is an easy recipe from my mother-in-law, Kelly.

Do not be fooled by its plain appearance. What it lacks in looks, Texas Sheet Cake makes up in fudgy, moist deliciousness. The rich chocolate frosting is poured on while the cake is still hot, so it seeps into the cake and seals in the moisture. Texas Sheet Cake is like the best, most fudgy brownie you have ever had, only better.

Serve it with ice cream, I know you'll love it.

printable recipe

Texas Sheet Cake

1 cup butter

1 cup water

1/4 cup cocoa

2 cups flour (add an extra 2 Tbsp flour for high altitude)

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda (scant tsp for high altitude)

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk (I used 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 Tbsp vinegar that I let sit for a few minutes)

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter in the water and cocoa powder.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat and whisk in the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda.

Once the dry ingredients are mixed in, add the eggs and buttermilk.

Whisk until combined.

Spray an 11x13 inch sheet pan (the kind that has a 1 inch lip). Pour cake batter into the pan.

Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes, or until the cake springs back when you lightly press it with your finger.

When the cake is almost finished baking, start making the frosting:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup cocoa

1/3 cup milk

2-3 cups powdered sugar

In the same (now clean) saucepan, bring the butter, cocoa and milk to a boil, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat, and gradually whisk in the powdered sugar until the mixture reaches glaze consistency. You want it to be slightly thickened but still pourable.

Pour over the hot chocolate cake and let cool on counter for 30 minutes at least. Serve or cover to be served later - this cake stays moist for days!

This recipe is featured in Menu Plan 12.

Cavity Maker Chocolate Cake

After tasting this cake for the first time at a friend's birthday party a few weeks ago, I immediately knew I wanted to make it for the blog. It is pretty much a chocolate lover's dream come true, so moist and rich, you will fall in love immediately. And it is super easy to make, too!

My friend Jeni got this recipe from allrecipes.com and only tweaked one ingredient- the original recipe called for coffee-flavored liqueur (Kahlua would be the brand, I think?). Since we don't drink coffee or liqueur, she substituted Sprite. Milk or chocolate milk would also work as a substitution.

printable recipes

 Cavity Maker Chocolate Cake

 

1 (18.25 ounce) package dark chocolate cake mix
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sprite
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, oil and sprite. Beat until ingredients are well blended.

Fold in chocolate chips. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared pan.

 

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until cake springs back when lightly tapped. 

 

Cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn out and cool completely on wire rack or plate.

 

 

 

Sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the cake. 

 

I went all out and served this with ice cream and home-made hot fudge, but it is also delicious all by itself!

This recipe is featured in Menu Plan 9.

Easy Apple Coffee Cake

A couple of weeks ago I made Honeybun Cake, a recipe from my friend Amy at Serve at Once. The Honeybun Cake was delicious and I highly recommend it, but it also got me thinking of this coffee cake recipe. Like Amy's cake, this one starts with a yellow cake mix, but it includes fruit and a crumbly cinnamon/sugar/nut topping. 

My mom gave me this recipe, I think she got it from her mom, and it is the easiest, most delicious coffee cake I have ever made.

 Easy Apple Coffee Cake

printable recipe

serves 12-15

1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 can (21 oz) apple pie filling
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup nuts (I use pecans)




Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour a 9" by 13" pan.

Mix the yellow cake mix and eggs in a large bowl.

This will form a very stiff batter, kind of the consistency of playdough.

Add the apple pie filling.

Fold together. The texture will resemble something that can only be described as "schlopp." Schlopp schlopp, beautiful schlopp. Beautiful schlopp with a cherry on top. Name that children's book... Don't worry, despite my weird analogies, the cake will taste great.

In a separate bowl, cut the sugar into the butter until it resembles pieces the size of peas, kind of like making biscuits.

Chop the nuts into small pieces.

Add the nuts, flour and cinnamon to the butter/sugar mixture.

Stir together until evenly mixed.

Spread the cake batter evenly in the pan. I forgot to take a picture of this part, so here is a cute picture of my daughter reading a Dora book while I made this.

Sprinkle the sugar/nut mixture on top.

Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes.

Let sit for 5-10 minutes and serve warm. Yummy!