Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Bundt Cakes

I have fallen in love.

Again.  It seems I am doing this a lot lately with food. 

This is Lemon Honey Creme.  It makes me so happy.  Since it found me, I have put it in my tea, on my toast,  in my cakes... oh the possibilities.    I am hooked.  It is super lemony...which I love.  It is honey meets lemon.  Not the generic "fake" lemon taste...the real lemon taste.  Which equals AWESOME in my book.  (Wouldn't it be awesome if I had a book?) 

You can substitute it for sugar...lemon honey for sugar.  WOW.

 Then you can add these little darlings.  Don't they make everything feel yummier??

And...if it couldn't get any better...I got to use my ADORABLE mini bundt cake pan. 

Oh geez.

Dying here.

Buy some Honey Lemon Creme. Make these Mini Bundt cakes. Love your life.

Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Bundt Cakes
2 1/4 c all purpose flour
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c  Lemon Honey Creme
1/2 c shortening
1 1/4 c milk
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
3 large eggs
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 c poppy seeds

Mix all ingredients, except for poppy seeds, with electric mixer on medium speed, until all ingredients are incorporated.  Add poppy seeds.  Fill each mini bundt cup until half full.  Bake for 15-17 minutes or until cake pulls away from pan.  Remove from pan, and cool on cooling rack. When cool, dip rounded tops into lemon glaze.  Let stand on cooling rack until glaze slightly hardens. Enjoy.
(recipe adapted from Betty Crocker Best of Baking; Starlight Yellow Cake)

Lemon Glaze
3-4 Tbs lemon juice
2 c powdered sugar

Put confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl and stir in lemon juice (glaze should be thick, but you should be able to pour it).  Add more sugar or lemon juice, to achieve desired consistency and taste.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Today was a beautiful day.

Last night was Friday night.  So, in my house...that means Mr. Bo got up with Little Bo Pink.  Last night...I got to sleep.  ALL NIGHT LONG.

Today was a beautiful day.

Not only did Mr. Bo stay up with the baby...he then woke up, entertained Little Bo Blue for hours, fed Little Bo Pink...THEN...did all the yard work.

He is my hero.

So for my hero...I made him his favorite.  Chocolate Whoopie Pies. 

What my man wants...my man gets.
(most of the time.)
(when I am feeling "in love")
(when he sweats all day and laughs with our kids.)

Such yummy dough.  It is a cross between cake batter and cookie dough.  Otherwise known as...heaven.

I got a nifty "Whoopie Pie Pan" from Mr. Bo for Christmas.  It was a hint.  A major hint. 

Oh yeah.  Whoopie pie creme...made of these three ingredients.



Can you smell the sugar in the air?



So...a favorite for my favorite. :) 
Enjoy.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Cookie:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cream of tarter
1/2 salt
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/4 sugar
2/3 cup shortening
2 tsp vanilla
1 c milk
Mix well in a bowl.  Batter will be very thick.  Drop by teaspoons on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes.  (Recipe by Donna Jernigan...Mr. Bo's Aunt!)

Filling:
2/3 cup marshmallow creme
1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup powdered sugar
Beat filling ingredients with electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Assembly:
For each Whoopie Pie, spread about 2 tsp of the filling on the bottom of one cooled cookie.  Top with 2nd cookie, bottom side down; gently press together.

Store tightly covered in the refrigerator. 
(Recipe by bettycrocker.com)

Introducing...Little Bo Pink

Where have I been, you might ask?  I've been a little busy...the BEST kind of busy.  The kind of busy that makes your heart want to jump out of your chest because you are so excited to be doing what you are doing...that you NEVER want to stop this kind of busy. 

This kind of busy means getting lost in gazes and "smiles".  This kind of busy means folding little tiny clothes...and loving it.  This kind of busy means taking the quickest showers known to man, just in case she might wake up.  (That's right...I said SHE).  This kind of busy means falling asleep in the middle of day with her little heart beating against yours...and knowing that this is where she was meant to be for the rest of both of your lives.  The kind of busy that makes you realize that is why you were created...to love her.

She is here.  She is finally here.  I would like to introduce you to our daughter.  Little Bo Pink.  Isn't she just perfect?  I think so.  So does her dad...and Little Bo Blue. 

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

So I was inspired by Picky Palate this week.  I saw her yummy Peanut Butter Butterscotch Chippers and thought...Yes...I am making those! 

I went out that day and bought me a bag of these...

All day today, butterscotch cookies were on my mind.  As I sat in church, my stomach kept reminding me that I hadn't eaten yet.  And my mind kept thinking of these yummy cookies I was going to make when I got home.  Who needs lunch when you can have cookies?

When I did FINALLY arrive home, I got right to work.  I threw open my cabinets to begin my new cookie, and  sadly, my peanut butter supply was running WAY too low to use it on cookies.  ( I mean, I have a 5 year old...what if I had an emergency?)  So, I searched for something I could make.  I HAD to use my Butterscotch chips.  I just HAD to.   So I found these!  Enjoy!

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies



Thank you hersheys.com for this yummy recipe.  Tried it.  Loved it.  Keepin' it. 

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies
Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups quick-cooking or regular rolled oats, uncooked
• 1-3/4 cups (11-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Butterscotch Chips

Directions

1. 1 Heat oven to 375°F.
2. 2 Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
3. 3 Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in oats and butterscotch chips; mix well. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
4. 4 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Monkey Bread



I know I have been a bit of a blogging recluse as of lately.  My brain is fried.  I have no idea where it has been.  Has anyone seen it?  If so...there is a reward offered for it.  I would really like it back.

 Anyway...I guess along with a missing brain, I have been living in a cave, because I have never had "Monkey Bread".  Can you believe it?  If you haven't had it...get ready for pure awesome.  So good.  So yummy. So easy. 

Make it...the monkeys in you life will love you for it!

With these ingredients...how could you go wrong??



Cut your biscuits into fours.



Place your cut biscuits into a bag and coat with cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Place coated biscuits into a baking dish.  ( A bundt pan is awesome for this...but I don't have one. )



Next, mix my two favorite ingredients together and on the stove.  When nice and melted and thick, pour on to coated biscuits.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes . Pull apart and enjoy!

These are some of the little monkeys that enjoyed it!

The Recipe:

Monkey Bread

4 cans refrigerator biscuits (about 40)
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup pecans, raisins and/or coconut, if desired

Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Pour sugar and cinnamon into a plastic bag and mix.

Add biscuit pieces, several at a time; shake to coat well.

Place pieces in a buttered tube or Bundt pan until all are used.

Sprinkle layers with nuts, raisins or coconut.

Bring brown sugar and butter to a boil in saucepan. Cool 10 minutes, then pour over top of biscuits.

Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool 15 minutes before removing from pan. Turn upside down to serve.

Submitted by: Belle from www.cooks.com

Little Bo is on La Fuji Mama!!!

Hi all!  I am on La Fuji Mama today!!!!  I am so excited!!!  Check out my yummy guest post over there today!  Hope your Chrismas shopping is winding down and your Christmas spirit is winding up! :)

Mini Milk Chocolate Cheesecakes

Today is the final day (the best day...dessert day) of the 7 course virtual progressive dinner that is Share Our Holiday Table.   This is event is a fundraiser in support of Share Our Strength's 'No Kid Hungry Campaign'.  This campaign centers on bringing awareness to the over 17 million children in the United States that go hungry on a daily basis.  Over the past two weeks, over 50 bloggers have lent their voices to this campaign by introducing great recipes on their blogs in 4 different categories: gourmet, family friendly, vegetarian and gluten-free.  With this combined effort and your help, we can raise awareness and help to end childhood hunger in the United States. 

I really wanted to be involved in this fundraiser, and this campaign!  I jumped in a little late, but I did manage to snag a dessert spot.  My dessert spot landed me in the "Gourmet" category, which is not my strong point, but hey...I love a challenge.  As I tried to find something "fancy-shmancy", I started by looking up what the word "gourmet" meant.  I mean...who really knows what it means?  To make a long story short, it basically means that it is something made with wonderful ingredients and it is sophisticated.  So...now what?

This is so out of my element!  I am a home-cookin' kind of gal.  So, that got me thinking. Can gourmet be simple? Why yes, ladies and gentlemen, it can be. 

I made Mini Milk Chocolate Cheesecakes for this lovely dinner party.  (By the way, thank you for the invitation!)  They are simple, rich and wonderful.  They have very few ingredients and you can make them way ahead of time, too!

I started by melting some Hershey Chocolate Bars in the microwave. 

I added the chocolate, sugar and vanilla to a blended cream cheese.  ( I learned that if you want your cheesecakes nice and creamy...beat your room temperature cream cheese for about 2 minutes before adding other ingredients.) 

Then add your egg.  Your mixture will become fluff-ier! 

Spoon your batter into muffin cups in a muffin tin.  ( I baked mine in stoneware...but I think a metal pan would work great, too.) 

When you bake your cheesecakes, they will come out a little fluffy, but will sink just a bit.  It is normal!!

Refrigerate for a couple of hours.  Melt a little bit of white or dark chocolate and drizzle it over each cheesecake. 

OR...to give it that "gourmet" feel draw with a little bit of white chocolate on a plate, refrigerate, and then break and place on the cheesecakes. Then...simple will be gourmet. 

Enjoy!

Mini Milk Chocolate Cheesecakes

(* my adaptions)

1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

4 ounces Bittersweet/semisweet chocolate * I used 4 ounces of Milk Chocolate Hershey Bars

1 large egg

* 1 teaspoon of vanilla  ( I use Molina vanilla...it is awesome)

Heat oven to 300 degrees.  Line 6 standard muffin tins with liners and lightly grease with cooking spray. 

*This actually makes 8 cheesecakes. 

Put the cream cheese in a medium bowl.  Beat for 2 minutes with an electric mixer until it is really smooth!

Add in the sugar, chocolate, and vanilla.  Beat until well blended.  Add your egg and beat until it is incorporated. 

Spoon batter into muffin cups.  Bake until the centers barely jiggle when you nudge the pan.  Bake for 15-18 minutes.  Cool completely.  Refrigerate.  Drizzle white or dark chocolate over cheesecakes just before serving. 

(Recipe adapted from Abigail Johnson Dodge's Desserts 4 Today: Mini Bittersweet Chocolate Cheesecakes)

Check out my fellow Share Our Holiday Table dessert bloggers today!!

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

TableFare

Cooking On the Side

Devour The World

Hoosier Homemade

 For the Joy of Food

Daydreamer Desserts

The Food Junkie

Deliciously Organic

Savory Sweet Life

Jeanette's Healthy Living

Cook It Allergy Free