apple crisp : recipe recap

my mom makes the best apple crisp EVER. i know people think their mom's whatever is the best just because it is their mom's but here i am not lying, it is delicious. her recipe is super easy and tastes incredible.

don't worry i called and asked her permission prior to posting.

apple crisp recipe:

 8 cups sliced apples (peeled)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons flour

mix together and pour into 9x13 pan (sprayed with pam) or a baking stone.

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup butter (softened)

mix together until crumbled and pour over apples.

bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. 

chocolate pudding : recipe recap

i love pudding.  while the box stuff is good, i thought it would be fun to try to make my own.  here is the step by step process i followed (with some guidance from real simple) if you're interested.

ingredients:  

1/4 cup sugar  
1/4 cup cornstarch 
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 
pinch kosher salt 
2 cups whole milk 
4 large egg yolks 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces 
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
homemade whipped cream, chocolate chips, graham crackers or fruit, for serving

in a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt. gradually whisk in the milk, then the egg yolks.

 

cook the milk mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened to the consistency of mayonnaise, 7 to 10 minutes. continue to cook, whisking, for 1 minute more. remove from heat and pour through the sieve into the bowl, pushing the mixture through gently with a rubber spatula or spoon. add the butter and chocolate and stir until melted. mix in the vanilla.

press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. before serving, gently stir the pudding to loosen it. serve with your choice of toppings.

enjoy!

cake balls

cake balls or cake pops seem to be all the rage these days.  i volunteered to make them for my sorority's recruitment this week and when i say some i mean 150+.  saturday i headed to iowa city to rach's house (she was gracious enough to volunteer to help.)  we started around 9:00 in the morning and finished up around 7:00 that night.  i did take a break to sit down and watch the second half of the iowa game and for some pizza to celebrate the victory while the cake balls set up in the freezer.  

normally these are very easy to make but when you're making so many it took a lot longer than normal.

here is a step by step process of how you can make them yourself.  enjoy, it's a fun process!

first bake cake, flavor of your choice.  i chose red velvet.  leave cake out overnight to dry.

the most fun part - finely crumble cake.

most recipes call for half a can of frosting or 8 oz. of cream cheese, but i used the full thing.for these i used cream cheese frosting.

mix frosting and cake until all combined.

i use a medium cookie scoop to evenly proportion. 

roll into balls, wash your hands after every 6 or 7.

place cake balls on lined cookie sheet and put into freezer at a minimum of 4 hours or overnight for best results.

melt chocolate almond bark to coat. best tool i found for dipping was a plastic fork, removing the middle two prongs.

i drizzled with red candy melts for a decorative touch.

the final product, all 154 of them.

delish.

Lemon Cheesecake

I attempted cheesecake for the first time and overall I was happy with the result. Unfortunately I think it fell flat because I tried to make a "healthier" version with reduced fat ingredients, but flat or not it still tasted delicious. It was also a great reason to try out my new springform pan from Pampered Chef, which I love, thanks Mom!

Lemon Cheesecake Recipe:
Crust
6 whole graham crackers
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Filling
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350°F.

For Crust: Finely grind graham crackers in processor. Add butter and lemon peel; blend using on/off turns just until crumbs are moist. Press crumbs firmly onto bottom (not sides) of 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Bake until crust is set, about 10 minutes. Cool. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, lemonade concentrate and lemon peel in large bowl until smooth. Beat in 3/4 cup sour cream. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined. Pour filling into crust. Bake until center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 50 minutes. Transfer cake to rack; cool 5 minutes. Run small knife around sides of cake. Chill cake uncovered overnight.

Garnish with whipped topping and lemon sprinkles.

I had some left over lemonade concentrate that I didn't want to waste so I whipped up a quick vodka lemonade to sip on while the cheesecake was baking.