New Favorite Recipes!

Hello!
 I'm returning from the land of silence to post about my recent favorite meals!  Today, I wanted to update you on all my delicious finds on Pinterest. Check out my Recipes I've Tried folder on Pinterest to see all the recipes I love!

Here they are- all pictures belong to the original blog.  Have fun!

Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes from two peas & their pod

These are fantastic little bundles of yumminess. They are moist and the pumpkin flavor really comes out.  I dipped just the tops in the Cinnamon/Sugar mix, and it was heavenly! Just as good a day later as just out of the oven. (If they last that long!)

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Lasagna Bake by Pinch of Yum

Delicious.  Creamy and rich, every family member enjoyed this.  A few notes:

I used my own Alfredo Sauce recipe just because it was easier.

I would take out the peas next time. They really didn't add anything to the dish; except that my kids got their veggies! 

Very, very good dish that is on the meal rotation list!

 

by Frieda Loves Bread

I can't believe I haven't posted about this cake.  Last November I was looking for an easy, one layer cake that I could decorate for my boy's Minecraft party.  Frieda answered my call on Facebook. I ended up cutting this into squares, and using pieces of foot rollups to made Minecraft shapes.   We LOVE this cake.  Love, Love, Love.  My daughter asked for it for her birthday in March, and still mentions it as her favorite cake.  The vanilla flavor is so good. Add cherries on top = divine.

 

Thai Beef Tacos from How Sweet it is

One more savory to add to this list.  These tacos are AMAZING! The Thai flavor is perfect, and the mangoes really punch up the whole thing.  The recipe only makes a few; double or triple as needed.  I did try this with stew meat in the crockpot once: not as good.   Use Flank steak and marinate them!

These are enough to get you started.  Check out my "Recipes I've Tried" board on Pinterest to see more tried and true recipes! 

Do you have a favorite recipe you found on Pinterest?  Let me know in the comments!

Roasted Peach Vanilla Bean Scones

Peaches. How I love them. A co-worker gave me some peaches from his tree. They were so fresh and full of flavor.  I couldn't decide what to do with them, except I knew I had to roast them.  I've been hearing on my facebook page that people love roasted peaches. They are great on ice cream, plain, and in desserts. Roasting them brought out their flavors, and made them so juicy.  Afterwards, I was craving breakfast, so decided to incorporate some of the peaches into these heavenly Vanilla Bean Scones.  Divine.  Divine as breakfast, and especially amazing warm with Vanilla ice cream.

Roasting Peaches 


* I used Vanilla Paste, but you can use beans or even extract. I've included the amounts below.

2 Tb butter
2 Tb fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)
2 Tb sugar
1 Vanilla Bean, halved lengthwise and scraped, or 1 teas. Vanilla Paste, or 2 teas Vanilla Extract
6 ripe peaches, halved and pitted (They do NOT have to be peeled)


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put the butter in a large, shallow baking dish, and put in the oven while it is preheating until the butter melts.

In the meantime, wash, half, and pit your peaches.

When butter is melted, add in the lemon juice, sugar, and vanilla. Mix.

Add peaches, turning to coat in the butter mixture, and then arranging cut side down in a single layer.

Roast until peaches are tender, and the butter mixture is syrupy, 15-25 minutes.  Brush with liquid halfway through. Serve peaches warm, or refrigerate.

Roasted Peach Vanilla Bean Scones 
The Double Dipped Life

*You don't have to roast the peaches, but it adds a great depth of flavor to the scones.

2-3 cups of flour
4 teas baking powder
3/4 teas salt
1/3 cup sugar
4 Tb butter
2 Tb shortening
1 egg
3/4 cup cream, plus more for brushing on scones
2 teas vanilla paste or 1 bean, or 4 teas vanilla extract
1 cup diced peaches
turbine sugar  (regular sugar works as well)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Mix well.  Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry cutter or 2 knives.

In a separate bowl, beat egg, and add cream and vanilla. Mix well, and then add to dry ingredients. Stir in fruit, and then add more flour until mixture is not wet.  This could take up to 1 full cup.

Turn dough out onto a floured baking sheet.  Press and form into a 1 inch thick circle, just smaller than the width of the cookie sheet.  With a pizza cutter, cut into triangles (like a pizza!).  Separate the pieces slightly. Brush each scone with cream, and sprinkle turbine sugar on top.

Bake for 15 minutes or until brown.

ENJOY!

Malted Chocolate Cupcakes

 

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. I thought I'd start this week out with something sweet.  This cupcake recipe has been sitting in my "to try" file forever! I finally made them, and they were amazing! I modified the recipe a bit to include malt flavor in both the cupcake and the frosting. I sprinkled crushed malt balls on top as well. 

Malted Chocolate Cupcakes

adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes

Makes about 28

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder or reg. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teas baking soda
1/2 teas salt
1 cup milk
1 1/4 cups malted milk powder
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teas vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa, both sugars, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together milk and malted milk powder until powder is dissolved.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat flour mixture, milk mixture and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add sour cream and vanilla, and beat just until combined.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each halfway. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months in airtight containers.


Fluffy Vanilla Frosting
adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 cup malted milk powder
1/2 teas vanilla extract
Malt balls (Whoppers), crushed

With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Reduce speed to medium. Add the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of the bowl as needed; after every 2 additions, raise the speed to high and beat 10 seconds to aerate frosting, then return to medium. This process should take about 5 minutes. Frosting will be very pale and fluffy.

Add vanilla, and beat until frosting is smooth.

Top cooled cupcakes with frosting; sprinkle with crushed malt balls.

Enjoy!