Bacon Swiss Poppy Seed Salad

INGREDIENTS
1/2 tsp grated fresh onion
1/2 tsp prepared mustard
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1 head green leaf lettuce

1 head red leaf lettuce

2 cups grated Swiss cheese

3/4 lbs crispy-cooked, and crumbled bacon

DIRECTIONS

Combine grated fresh onion, mustard, sugar, rice vinegar, olive oil, salt, and poppy seeds in a container. I plopped them in a blender bottle, shook it like a polaroid picture.

Chop your heads of green and red leaf lettuce- into fork manageable pieces. Top lettuce with Swiss cheese, bacon, and poppy seed dressing. Then toss to combine, and enjoy!

This recipe is EASILY doubled, and will go fast in a crowd. Even in a crowd of non-green salad loving Mormons. In fact, the original recipe I was given was doubled, and filled a GIANT bowl. however, this recipe fit nicely into a casserole dish for our Christmas Dinner for six, with no leftovers-  I took one for the team and finished it off. You will NOT regret making this salad.

Hot Chocolate Truffles

recipe adapted from Your Cup of Cake
BASIC RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

2 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cocoa Powder

DIRECTIONS
In a medium sized pot, melt all of the ingredients over medium-low heat stirring constantly until smooth.
Remove from heat, and transfer to a separate container. Let cool in the refrigerator until stiff enough to scoop.
Using a small cookie scoop (2 Tbsp/1 ounce/30 mL), scoop your ganache onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and place in the freezer for half an hour.
Remove scoops from freezer, and shape into (pretty) balls with your hands. Roll truffles in cocoa powder, and keep chilled until ready to use.

TO SERVE

Place truffle in bottom of cup, and pour 6 to 8 oz of hot milk over the top. Stir stir stir and enjoy!

VARIATIONS

Candy Cane
Use 2 teaspoons of peppermint extract in place of vanilla.
Roll in crushed candy canes.

Chocolate Orange
Use 1 Tablespoon of orange extract in place of vanilla.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
Use 2 Cups Reese's Peanut Butter Chips & 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Roll in 2 parts cocoa powder to 1 part PB2.

Extra Dark Milk Chocolate
Use Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate Chips & 1/2 teaspoon salt

Som' Bitches

Recipe adapted from two.thirty.ate

INGREDIENTS
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
28 chewy caramels, unwrapped

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add peanut butter and beat until thoroughly mixed. Add vanilla, then eggs, one at a time until combined.
Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Gently fold in chocolate chips, and mix until just combined.
Using a two tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out dough then flatten in the the palm of your hand. Place caramel in the middle, then fold cookie dough up, pinching the seams to create a ball. Place cookies 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

If you know me, then you know that Peanut Butter Cookies are always a bust with me. Not that I don't love peanut butter cookies, but because I am THE WORST at making them. No matter what I do, they always end up terrible. After that famous episode of How I Met Your Mother where we actually met the mother, and she had made these cookies. When I watched that episode, I knew that I needed to make them. But with my terrible track record, I was SO thankful that my friend Kayla would make them. She taught me how, but for some reason every time I tried, they just didn't ever work. That is until I made them during the 2016 BYU/Utah Football game. I was SO stressed, that I had to do something. So while the game may not have ended the way I wanted it to, I have these cookies to help ease my pain.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Recipe adapted from PopSugar
  
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk

1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup salted butter, melted and cooled slightly

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the flour and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk in buttermilk, vanilla and melted butter.

Pour buttermilk mixture into the well of the flour mixture, and stir until just combined. Let sit while you pre-heat your skillet.

Heat a large, nonstick skillet to about 350 ºF. Spray skillet with your cooking spray of choice.
Dollop 1/2 cup batter onto skillet per pancake. Cook pancakes until bubbles rise to the surface and pop, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip pancakes and cook another 2 minutes.

Okay guys, pancakes are my life. I've never been great at them, which was fine because my Grandma Alice was amazing at them, and I always assumed I would find a man to love me and he would make them. You know, cause all men are great at making breakfast food. Well, I'm 27, Grandma Alice has retired from cooking, and I haven't been on a date in years. So, I had to suck it up and learn. I've made a lot of mistakes, learned that mixes are the devil, and that ain't nobody got time or the money to use cake flour, but I've found the recipe that embodies all of my favorite things about pancakes. I can now sleep a little better knowing that pancakes will be in my life for always. I may be lonely, but loneliness can be fixed with a stack of hot buttermilk pancakes.

Martha's Chocolate-Raspberry Cake

Recipe Adapted from Martha Stewart

INGREDIENTS

CAKE
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon almond extract
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (61 percent cacao), melted and cooled
FILLING
24 ounces fresh raspberries (a scant 6 cups)
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of coarse salt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans with cooking spray, then dump some flour in, and shake until coated with a light layer of flour. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In another large bowl, beat butter with sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in almond extract. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk in two batches. Beat to combine, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in melted chocolate.

Divide batter evenly among prepared pans, smoothing tops with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through front to back and top to bottom, until a tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a small sharp knife around edges, then invert onto rack. Remove parchment and let cool completely, about 25 minutes. With a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes so they're level.

Filling: While cakes are baking, stir together 3 cups raspberries, sugar, salt, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook over high, stirring frequently and mashing with the back of a spoon, until mixture comes to a boil, 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring, until mixture thickens and clings to spoon, 7 to 8 minutes more. (You should have 1 1/3 cups.) Let cool 30 minutes. Stir in 2 cups raspberries, reserving remainder.

Spread half of filling over one cake. Top with second layer; spread remaining filling over top. Top with final layer, cut-side down. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour and up to overnight. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Garnish with remaining raspberries.

Fact: I am terrible at reading recipes lately, and once I get the ingredients together, I put them together using whatever method would work best based on the ingredients. Which is probably how I didn't catch that this should have been made using THREE cake pans. While my cake turned out okay, using three pans would've made it so much easier with the filling and frosting. #whoopsie This cake is RICH, and slightly tangy from the raspberries. I am definitely going to keep baking this chocolate cake recipe, and the frosting is to die for! I used almond extract instead of the raspberry liquor, mostly because I didn't want to buy (let's be honest find in my home) Chambord. I do like almond with raspberry together, so I was pleased with the result.

Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe from Martha Stewart
INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of coarse salt
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (61 percent cacao), melted and cooled
3/4 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS

Sift together sugar, cocoa, and salt. Beat cream cheese with butter and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until smooth. Reduce speed to medium-low; gradually add cocoa mixture and beat until combined. Pour in chocolate in a slow, steady stream. Add sour cream; beat until combined. Frosting can be stored in refrigerator up to 5 days; bring to room temperature and beat before using.

Peach-Raspberry Dump Cake

INGREDIENTS
2 cans peach pie filling
1 pint fresh raspberries
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Spray 13x9 pan with non-stick cook spray.

Spread peach pie filling evenly across the bottom of pan.
Evenly distribute fresh raspberries over peaches.
Sprinkle dry cake mix over raspberries and peaches.
Pour melted butter all over dry cake mix.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. It will still be a little bit ooey gooey. Let sit for a couple minutes to cool and set up a bit.

Scoop out, and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Coconut Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS
For the Cookies:
1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. canola oil
1 1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. water
2 eggs
2 tsp coconut extract
5 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
For the Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sour cream
1 tsp coconut extract
dash of salt
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp. coconut milk (or as needed, to taste)
Toasted Coconut

DIRECTIONS
For the Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
In a stand-mixer or large mixing bowl, combine butter, oil, sugar, powdered sugar, and water. Cream together and slowly add in eggs. Then add coconut extract, and mix thoroughly.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix well and slowly add to the butter/sugar mixture until combined and doughy.
Roll dough into golf-ball sized balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silpat.
Dip the bottom of a glass into excess sugar and press on to each dough ball (re-dipping in sugar each time) to flatten the cookie to about 1/2 inch in thickness.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until bottom is lightly golden-brown. Do not over-bake. Set aside to cool.
For the Frosting:
Cream together butter, sour cream, extract, and salt. Slowly add powdered sugar, and mix until desired consistency (you may not need all of it). Add coconut milk to thin if needed. Spread over cooled cookies, top with toasted coconut and serve! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator to get that soda shop experience.

Sodalicious Cookies

Recipe Adapted from Favorite Family Recipes

INGREDIENTS

For the Cookies:
1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. canola oil
1 1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. water
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
5 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
For the Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp almond extract
dash of salt
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp. milk (or as needed, to taste)

DIRECTIONS
For the Cookies:

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
In a stand-mixer or large mixing bowl, combine butter, oil, sugar, powdered sugar, and water. Cream together and slowly add in eggs. Then add almond extract, and mix thoroughly.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix well and slowly add to the butter/sugar mixture until combined and doughy.
Roll dough into golf-ball sized balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silpat.
Dip the bottom of a glass into excess sugar and press on to each dough ball (re-dipping in sugar each time) to flatten the cookie to about 1/2 inch in thickness.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until bottom is lightly golden-brown. Do not over-bake. Set aside to cool.
For the Frosting:
Cream together butter, sour cream, extract, and salt. Slowly add powdered sugar, and mix until desired consistency (you may not need all of it). Add milk to thin if needed. Mix in food coloring to desired hue. Spread over cooled cookies and serve! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator to get that soda shop experience.

Guys, I am slowly increasing my A1C with the addition of SodaBomb! in Roosevelt- they are fantastic! Thankfully, they do not have Sugar Cookies every day like those other soda shops (Sodalicious, Swig) and I can keep myself in check. BUT their sugar cookies are vanilla flavored- still delicious- but they don't quite live up to the amazingness that is a Sodalicious Sugar Cookie… sorry Swig, the one time I gave you a chance-at the original, your sugar cookies were meh. Anyway, I had to find something to fill in the void, and I finally gave making some myself a chance. I'm SO glad that I did. These are SO good! If you are a monster, and do not like Almond Extract, go ahead and make them with Vanilla- just know that they won't be as good! Also, these get SO MUCH BETTER after sitting in the refrigerator over night.

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars

Recipe Adapted From Alina Design Co

INGREDIENTS

1 package (2 sheets) puffed pastry

2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup butter (melted)
Cinnamon Sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unfold then use a rolling pin to spread out the puffed pastry. Place one sheet of puffed pastry onto parchment. Spread cream cheese mixture onto puffed pastry, top with other sheet of puffed pastry.
Seal sides by pinching them together. Spread melted butter over the top, and generously sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool. Serve warm.

Once upon a time, I pinned the recipe for this on Pinterest, and it became my mom popular pin. Like, it was on the Most Popular Page for like 3 weeks. It was the most annoying thing of my life! And then Pinterest stopped being an invite only website, and the jets were cooled. Unfortunately, the annoyance caused me to resent the pin, and I never made the recipe. What a foolish decision that was, because this is AMAZING. The original recipe says to use Crescent Roll Dough, but I think that it's too greasy and too savory of a thing, AND when I made this in a bind, all I had was some Pepperidge Farm Puffed Pastry Sheets. Best ingredient swap of my life! Make this, you will not be disappointed! 

Puffed French Toast

Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS

1 loaf french bread, cut into 1 inch slices*

3/4 cup sugar

1.5 tablespoons cinnamon

2 eggs
2 1/2 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. milk
1 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Vegetable Oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

In a shallow baking dish, mix sugar and cinnamon, and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil to 375ºF.

While the oil is coming to temperature, thoroughly combine eggs, remaining sugar, salt, vanilla extract, milk, flour and backing powder in a pie dish.

Working quickly, take each slice of french bread, and soak both sides in the batter. Shake off excess, and place in hot oil. Fry until puffed up and golden in color, about 3-4 minutes per side.

Remove from oil, and place on a cooling rack lined with paper towels to cool. While still warm, coat in cinnamon sugar mixture.

Serve warm with whatever your heart desires. We like it with fresh strawberries, strawberry sauce, and whipped cream.

I'm a Mormon. I guess that needed to be said for the story? Anyway, I was watching General Conference with my friend, Marina. And in between the Saturday Sessions a commercial for a cookbook came on, and it showed a picture of this puffed french toast. And I KNEW that I needed that cookbook, because I NEEDED to make that french toast for our Sunday General Conference Breakfast the next day for all of our friends. So, after the afternoon session, we drove to Deseret Book, purchased it, found the recipe and straight to Walmart to grab the ingredients. We forgot to grab the Texas Toast the recipe called for, but there were loaves of french bread next to us. Laziness prevailed, so we grabbed a loaf, and then the adaptation that created my FAVORITE breakfast was born!

Cowboy Caviar

Recipe from Culinary Hill

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (11 ounce) can super sweet corn, drained (see notes)
1 red onion, diced
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup chopped cilantro (1 bunch)

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, sugar, white wine vinegar, chili powder, cumin and salt.

Add tomatoes, black-eyed peas, black beans, corn, onion, bell peppers and cilantro. Mix to combine.

Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight to let the flavors marry. Serve chilled with chips.

Lilliana and I went to the store one Saturday to purchase some strawberries to make strawberry ice cream. Next to the strawberries was some samples of what looked pretty dang gross, but it had a corn chip, so we decided to try it. And then our love for Cowboy Caviar was born. We paid the outrageous price of $2.69 for a cup of it, and then shoveled into our mouths as fast as we could, because other family members would try it, and would also fall in love. Today when I went to the grocery store, they did not have any of that delicious Cowboy Caviar, so I found a recipe, and hot dang, I am gonna live off of this stuff!

Midnight Cookies 'n' Cream Ice Cream

Inspired by Chocolate Midnight Cookies
by Häagen-Dasz in Downtown Disney
Recipe Adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

INGREDIENTS
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (100% cacoa)
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 cup evaporated milk
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
5 ounces crushed Oreo Cookies

DIRECTIONS
Combine 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry.
Chop the chocolate and place it in a medium bowl.
Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
Combine the remaining milk, cream, evaporated milk, sugar, and corn syrup in a 4-quart saucepan, and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Add the cocoa, whisking until it is incorporated, and continue to boil for 4 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the chocolate. Add the salt and whisk until the chocolate is melted.
Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon resealable plastic freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until the mixture is chilled through, about 30 minutes.
Pour the ice cream base into the ice cream maker and process until thick and creamy per the machine’s instructions.
Gently stir in crushed Oreo Cookies, place in a quart sized container, topped with parchment paper before regular lid, and then freeze for a minimum of 3 hours in the freezer.
Scoop, and serve to all your favorite people.

The first time I took my niece, Peggy, to Disneyland, all she wanted for a snack, all day, was ice cream. And I just kept forgetting to take her to get some- there are waaaay better things to eat in the land of happiness than ice cream. So after our first day, while walking through Downtown Disney on our way back to the room, she noticed the Häagen-Dasz and reminded me that all she wanted was ice cream. So we made that quick pit stop. She was kind of being a butthead, didn't know what she wanted, so I chose for her. And I chose the first ice cream that I saw an advertisement for and that is what she got. She kind of pouted a little bit, and then she got the ice cream. And good heck, was it good! So, as I was making ice cream this last week, my facebook kept popping up that a year ago I was in Disneyland. Which made me crave this ice cream, so I made it happen! This is seriously SO good! You should definitely make it today!

Cherry Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream

Adapted from Recipe Diaries

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup chocolate chips

2 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 15 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups of fresh cherries, pitted and quartered

DIRECTIONS

In a microwave safe bowl, mix chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream. Microwave for three 30 second increments, stirring between sessions until chocolate chips have melted, and you have a thick chocolate ganache. Set aside to cool, then crumble.

In a large, chilled bowl, beat with a hand mixer remaining two cups of heavy whipping cream until soft peaks have formed. Add vanilla extract, and continue to beat until stiff peaks have formed. Gently fold in sweetened condensed milk, cherries, and cooled chocolate ganache crumbles.

Freeze in quart sized container of your choice for a minimum of 4 hours, and then serve away!

So, I have never been a fan of cherries that aren't cooked or processed to heck. Maraschino Cherries, Cherry Pie, Cherry Flavor… those are my jam. Regular cherries? Not so much. Then add in the fact that I HATE chocolate chunks/chips/whatever in ice cream, and it makes you wonder why on earth I would ever make a Cherry-Garcia-esque copy cat slash cheater recipe for ice cream. Well, the answer is: we had a bunch of cherries, and I had some heavy cream I needed to get rid of. I decided to make a chocolate ganache to replace the chocolate chunks, because I didn't want to risk breaking my teeth. I am an ice cream chewer. My Grandma Alice really enjoyed this recipe, and I hope that you all will too!