Rainbow Chip Cake Mix Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 box Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Cake Mix
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 jar Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Frosting

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat, then set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs in the oil. In a medium bowl, whisk the rainbow chip cake mix to break up any lumps. Then dump the eggs/oil on top, and mix until combined.

Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out the dough, and place at least 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer from cookie sheet to cooling rack, and let come to just above room temperature.

Frost cooled cookies with your Rainbow Chip Frosting, and then have at it!

No-Churn Raspberry Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup Raspberry Freezer Jam
Raspberry Freezer Jam (for swirls)

DIRECTIONS
In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip your heavy cream and sugar until soft peaks appear. Add vanilla, and half of your sweetened condensed milk and whip until combined. Add remaining sweetened condensed milk until stiff peaks appear.
Gently fold in your raspberry freezer jam until soft pink in color. In a freezable container with lid, layer your with spoonfuls of raspberry freezer jam, and gently swirl. Cover with plastic wrap before putting on the lid, and freeze for at least 2 hours. Then enjoy!

*I was in the mood for something sweet. It is also unbearably hot in my home, so baking was out of the question, and the method I like to use for ice cream usually involves some stovetop time, and I was a little wary of pulling out the frozen canisters because I was afraid my ice cream wouldn't churn to the smooth consistency I prefer. Enter "no-churn ice cream" recipes. I have watched many a video from Delish about no-churn ice creams, and figured it was my time to try one out.

So I chucked my kitchenaid stand mixer bowl, and whisk attachment into the freezer, and started searching for ingredients! I happened to have half a can of sweetened condensed milk from my foray into brazilian limeade, I found a jar of raspberry freezer jam in the freezer, and I went from there. My phone was at 2%, so I took a chance and guessed what proportions I needed. Definitely one of my better experiments, and it was CRAZY good with a waffle cone!

The Grey Stuff

Recipe Adapted from The Disney Diner

INGREDIENTS
2, 3.3 ounce packages, instant white chocolate pudding
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1, 14.3 oz package Oreos (regular)
3 tablespoons instant chocolate pudding mix
1, 16 oz tub Cool Whip

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and whole milk. Add the packages of instant white chocolate pudding. Whisk it together, and place in the refrigerator to set, about 10 - 15 minutes.

While the pudding is setting, place Oreos in a food processor, and blend until fine. Set aside 1/3 cup of the crushed Oreos.

Remove the pudding from refrigerator. Add the crushed Oreos to the white chocolate pudding, and mix in the 3 tablespoons of chocolate pudding mix. Gently fold in the Cool Whip, and voilà! The Grey Stuff!

To Serve: The Red Rose Tavern in Disneyland served their version of The Grey Stuff over a lemon shortbread cookie, red velvet cupcake, topped with a fresh raspberry. It was freaking delicious. I didn't have the patience to make lemon shortbread cookies, so I made red velvet cupcakes, topped with raspberries, and then I piped The Grey Stuff using a Wilton 1M tip, and topped with pearl sprinkles. I totally forgot to sprinkle some crushed Oreo on top, but you should.

Homemade Soft Pretzels

INGREDIENTS
Dough

4 3/4 cups unbleached, all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Active Dry Yeast (2 packets)
2 cups warm water

Topping
2 cups water
4 tablespoons baking soda
Coarse, kosher or pretzel salt
1 cup unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

In a mixer, bloom the yeast with the sugar and water, let sit for 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, and using the hook attachment, combine ingredients until it forms a dough that pulls away from the sides. Continue kneading for about 5 minutes. It should be soft, smooth, and quite slack. Cover, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting, prepare the topping:

In a small pot, boil water and add baking soda, stirring until the soda is dissolved. Reduce heat to a soft simmer.

Preheat your oven to 475°F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into sixteen equal pieces (about 70g, or 2 1/2 ounces, each). Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Pour the baking soda/water into a 9" square pan.

Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28" to 30" long), and twist each rope into a pretzel. Working with 4 pretzels at a time, place them in the pan with the baking soda/water, spooning the water over their tops; leave them in the water for 2 minutes before placing them on the baking sheet. This baking soda "bath" will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color.

Transfer the pretzels to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle them lightly with salt, if desired.

Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake the pretzels for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they're golden brown.

Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter.

Keep brushing the butter on until you've used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but pretend you're Paula Dean, and you need butter to live.

Sprinkle with more salt, because we go hard to the paint here, and serve!

Variation: PRETZEL BITES WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Instead of twisting your ropes of dough, cut them into 1 inch pieces, throw them in the soda water for a minute, and let sit for 10 minutes, and bake for 6-7 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Momma's Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS
2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla (OR 1 teaspoon almond extract)
4 eggs
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup dairy product

DIRECTIONS
In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
In a mixer, cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs in one at a time until incorporated, then add vanilla.
Incorporate 1/3 flour mixture, then 1/2 dairy product. Repeat. End with flour. Be sure to not over mix.
Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour- use my roll out dough hack!
Heat oven to 400ºF.
Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface.
Cut with cookie cutter.
Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Place in freezer for 3 minutes.
Bake for 7 minutes, or until bottoms are pale brown.
Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack, repeat with remaining dough.
Let cookies cool completely before topping with your frosting of choice, and ALL THE SPRINKLES.

Caramel Bugles

 Recipe adapted from Dollie Nyberg's

INGREDIENTS
1 stick butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup honey
Splash of vanilla extract
29 oz Bugles
Cooking Spray

DIRECTIONS 
Prep a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and then spray with cooking spray, set aside.
In a very large mixing bowl, coat thoroughly with cooking spray, and then add Bugles. Set aside.
In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar together until brown sugar is dissolved.
Turn up heat to medium-high, then add sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup, and honey. Bring a boil, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula (to keep the bottom from burning). Continue stirring until caramel reaches a tad passed the soft-ball stage, 245ºF with a candy thermometer.
Remove from heat, and add vanilla extract- the caramel will bubble up! Stir until bubbles subside, and then poor over Bugles.
Mix caramel and Bugles until all of the Bugles are covered in caramel goodness.  Evenly spread Caramel Bugles over your prepared baking sheet, and let until cool.
Then share with your favorite people!

I detest Bugles. I think they are one of the worst snack foods ever. However, Sister Nyberg brought these Caramel Bugles to our Ward Campout over the summer, and in love I fell. They were like crack to me, and no one else dared try them, so I got to take a lot of them home, and made a request for the recipe. The next day I had the recipe, now here I am five months later, and I have finally gotten around to making them. However, I discovered upon making them that I only had 2/3 cup of Corn Syrup- the original recipe called for 1 cup Corn Syrup, so I scrambled around for an appropriate substitute, and I ended up dumping 1/3 cup of Honey. I know that the chemical structure of the two are fairly similar, but the difference in the honey would require that I cook it just a tad bit hotter than the original recipe.
I am happy to report that I dare say this is better than the original, and you should all give it a go! I'm pretending that it is healthier, because honey is healthy. ;)