Chunky Pecan Bars

I love to bake :-) I have always loved to bake, and I have always had a sweet tooth.  The other day I was wanting to make some cookies so that I could take some over to my Grandparents on the weekend.  Flipping through the cookbooks, and I found a few new cookie recipes to try.  But then I came across this recipe for Chunky Pecan Bars in my copy of Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies & Bars.   Needless to say, I was sold!  Here is the recipe:

Base

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter, cold and cut into cubes

Filling
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350F.  

Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan.

In a small bowl, mix the flour and brown sugar.  Using a pastry blender or two knives, blend the butter with the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly.  Press into the preparing baking dish and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden.

While the base is baking, in a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, corn syrup, melted butter and vanilla.  Blend well, using a whisk.  Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans.  Pour over the base.

Bake for 20-25 minutes (22 at our house) or until set.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting and serving.


VERDICT:
Our oldest gave a thousand thumbs up and a great big smile through his chocolate covered face :-)  Of course, I quite enjoyed them too.  And of course, we ate them when we were still warm ;-)  A perfect blend of crunch and sweet (but not too sweet) and gooey for me!

7 Layer Cookies

A few months ago my oldest son and I entered a cooking/baking competition together through Better Together BC, and while we did not win the competition, we had a lot of fun making the video and baking together, and we still believe that we have a winner of a recipe :-) I've decided to share it with you here today!  These 7 Layer Cookies are so easy to prepare, it's a perfect project to do with the kids.  And it's also great as we plan ahead for our Christmas baking.  With a little preparation at the start by lining up all of the ingredients, this is an easy treat for the little ones to create.  Here is the recipe:

7 Layer Cookies (Source: The Kitchen is My Playground)

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup flaked coconut (I used unsweetened)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Melt butter and pour into 9 x 13 baking pan. Swirl around to ensure full coverage of the bottom of the pan.

Add each of the ingredients in layers, in the order that they appear on the recipe (graham cracker crumbs then coconut then chocolate chips, and so on).

Bake at 325° F for 28-30 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow the pan to cool completely before cutting into squares. Serve and enjoy!

Makes 24 bars. 

Yummy Pumpkin Bars - Guest Post by Jenny from Bloom Designs Online

Hi Everyone- I am Jenny from Bloom Designs Online and I am so excited to be on Addicted to Recipes today. 

Fall is my favorite time of year and of course it's the perfect time for pumpkin treats. Now, I love pumpkin pie, but these are my absolute favorite pumpkin dessert. They are also finger friendly, so it makes them a little easier to have at your Thanksgiving dessert table.

Yummy Pumpkin Bars

You Need

1 box yellow cake mix

1 jar pumpkin butter

3 eggs
1 T Flour

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter

3 T milk

1 t cinnamon

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Measure out 1 cup of the cake mix and set aside.  Mix remaining cake mix with ½ cup melted butter and 1 egg.  Press mixture lightly into the bottom of a 9x13 pan lined with parchment. 

 

 

Mix pumpkin butter with 2 eggs lightly beaten and milk.  Pour over cake mixture in pan.

 

Mix reserved cake batter with flour, sugar, ¼ softened butter and cinnamon.  Crumble  on top of pumpkin layer.  You may have some holes. 

 

 

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden.  Cool in pan and then lift parchment to remove.  Dust with a mixture of powdered sugar and cinnamon.

 

 

 

SO YUMMY! Thanks so much for spending this time with me. You're welcome anytime at Bloom Designs Online.

Nutella Cheesecake Bites

Recently, we had a surprise 40th birthday party to attend.  I was SUPER excited about it for many reasons.  Not only were we going to see some friends we hadn't seen in a long while, it also meant that hubs and I had an evening out...it's been a few months since we've had an evening out together (crazy, hey?!).  The party was a pot luck, and I was stumped about what to bring for our portion of the pot luck.   I had plans to hit the grocery store the morning of the party (it had been a busy week leading up to the party and I hadn't made it sooner), but then one thing after another happened that Saturday and I couldn't get to the store.  With time dwindling and my brain racing, I opened the pantry and the fridge doors (the two are side-by-side) to see what we had and to think about what I could create. 

First this that caught my eye was a jar of Nutella.  "Hmmm," I thought to myself, "I haven't made anything with Nutella in a while, what can I do?"

A little searching in the fridge and I found some cream cheese.  Nutella and cream cheese...YES, those would go well together!  More thinking..."OK, I mix those up and they will taste good, but perhaps a little thick or too rich?  What else can I add?  What about whipping cream?! Yes, whipping cream!"

Take a look and nope...don't have any.  Thinking, thinking.  Wait a minute!  Hubs bought some Cool Whip a while ago, I wonder if there is any left?...Check the freezer and SCORE, there is most of a container there! 

Nutella, cream cheese and Cool Whip. I'm thinking these three things blended together should be pretty tasty! 

Now what...make it a mousse? Serve in a bowl to scoop?  That's a lot of dishes to do.  Don't want to do that to the hostess and "birthday boy". 

My brain is still working...There's got to be something more.  Back into the pantry.  Hmmm..a crumb pie crust?  I know I have graham cracker crumbs, which would do in a pinch, but I wonder, what about Oreo crumbs? Do I have any? 

Check the baking shelf, and score again! There is a partial box there! 

So...if I put the Nutella, cream cheese and Cool Whip all into the KitchenAid and mix it up well...create a pie crust from the oreo crumbs...voila, a cheesecake type of dessert! 

But wait, still hung up on those dishes...how can I make these "individual"... look in the baking cupboard and there are mini cupcake liners...but they are snowman patterned, do you think anyone would mind?  Hubs convinces me that snowmen will be fine, though I am not sold.  But I do it anyhow.  Make a pie crust base to line each of the mini cupcake cups.  Pop them into the fridge to set.  Make my cheesecake filling.  "Fill" the cupcake cups, sprinkle more crumbs on top for decoration, and everything back into the fridge to set.  And then I think to myself..."Oh man, I hope these turn out, and that they taste good!"  Verdict to follow...

Crust:

1 1/4 cups Oreo baking crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine the crumbs and butter, mix well.  Set out 30-35 mini cupcake liners on a tray.  Spoon the crumb mixture  into the mini cupcake liners.  Press the crumbs into the base of the liners to create the "crust".  Put the tray into the fridge so that the crust can set.  Meanwhile, work on the cheesecake filling.

Cheesecake:

1 package cream cheese (softened)
3/4 cup Nutella
1 cup Cool Whip (thawed)

Blend all three together in a mixer.  I blended for a LONG time to ensure that there were no lumps of cream cheese. 

Remove the crusts from the fridge, then spoon the filling into each crust.  I had considered piping the filling into the crust, which I think I will do next time - but due to a lack of piping bags, I didn't try this time.  Once the crusts were filled, I sprinkled a few crumbs on top and put them back into the fridge to set.

Prior to leaving for the party, I took the tray out of the fridge and peeled off all of the cupcake liners.  Partially because I just couldn't go to a birthday party in October with snowmen cupcake liners, and partially because I thought they looked better anyhow without a liner.  I arranged them all on a tray, and we were off to the party.

VERDICT:
These were a HUGE hit.  Being in a room full of people I was able to gauge reaction without being too obvious.  When I saw people taking seconds almost immediately I knew that the recipe was a success!  Yay!  The birthday boy requested the recipe, as did a few others.  Woohoo! It's a keeper :-)

Note:  I did make sure that I made a little sign for the dessert in case there were any nut allergies (and there were...phew!). 

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Peach Shortcake Muffins

Oh how I LOVE peaches.  Just love love LOVE them.  They are one of my most favourite fruits.  I am so lucky that we live in a beautiful peach producing region.  Each summer we are able to purchase wonderful, juicy peaches from the orchards that surround our city.  So so lucky!

Last summer, I totally did not get my fill of peaches. I'm not into canning (plus, last summer I had a newborn...my hands were full!) - I prefer peaches when they are fresh.  We bought what seemed like tonnes last summer, but alas, it wasn't enough as I have been craving peach season ever since.

My parents were away earlier this summer, they were camping south of our city, and did me the ever so kind favour of bringing us back a case of the early peaches, as the fruit is always ready earlier a few hours south of us. That first case was so very good, and I am just waiting for the signs to go up at the local orchards letting me know I can get more peaches.

I had just a few peaches left from the first case, so I decided to bake some muffins.  I didn't have enough for a pie, otherwise peach pie it would have been. Instead, I went with Peach Shortcake Muffins, from the Robin Hood Baking Festival baking brochure from 1996.  Yes, 1996.  No, I am not a hoarder.  I collect recipes!!  Here is the recipe:

MUFFIN:
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger
6 tablespoons butter or margarine (softened)
1 cup milk
1 2/3 cups coarsely chopped peaches

TOPPING:
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and ginger.  Cut in the butter or margarine with a pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly.  Add in the milk and peaches.  Stir to combine, but do not overstir.  Spoon into prepared muffin cups (greased or lined).  Sprinkle with topping.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until set and golden.

Note - Canned peaches may also be used.  And, try substituting other fresh fruits for the peaches, such as strawberries!

VERDICT:
So delicious!  I just love these muffins!  So does our 1 year old, he's a big "bread" kid, and these were a hit with even the littlest man in our family!

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Scrumptious Sunday #25 - Features

Hello friends!  So great that you've stopped by today.  It's a big day in my house...it's MY BIRTHDAY!  I love birthdays - whether they are mine or someone else's, I just love them!  In case you missed it, this week I hosted 5 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS as part of my birthday celebration!  If you haven't yet entered, please do so!  Here are the links to each day of giveaways:

 

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

And...please be sure to check out the FANTASTIC blogs that sponsored prizes for the giveaways!  Seriously, these friends are GOLD!

Crazy for Crust      Cups by Kim     Debbie Does Creations     DJ's Sugar Shack 

 

   Domestic Randomness       Inside BruCrew Life       Kathe With an E

Live.Laugh.Rowe     M double M Crafts    My Favorite Finds

Optimistic Mommy        Organized Island      Pamela's Heavenly Treats

Quick Asian Recipes         White Lights on Wednesday

It was another amazing week of recipes shared by you!  If you are featured, Please grab a BUTTON!

<a href="http://iamaddictedtorecipes.blogspot.com"><img src="http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w519/AddictedtoRecipes/addictedbutton.jpg" width="200" height="177" border="0" alt="I was featured, I was Featured by Addicted to Recipes"></a>

Because it's my birthday, and because I have a huge sweet tooth, I'm picking all desserts this week!  Feel free to whip one up and send it my way ;-)

Congratulations to this week's features!

Birthday Cake Milkshakes from Chocolate, Chocolate and More

Blueberry Pie from Noshing with the Nolands

Double Chocolate Zucchini Brownies from Mommy's Sweet Confessions

Easy Candy Bar Dessert from Lady Behind the Curtain

Reese's Overload Cake from Hugs & Cookies XOXO

All of these recipes will be pinned to my Pinterest account, posted on Twitter, and shared on Facebook!

Just a reminder, this week's Scrumptious Sunday Link Party goes live Saturday - at 8 pm PST. Can't wait to see what you bring to the party!

Creamsicles

Last month I wrote a blog post for One Artsy Mama as part of her Fun in the Sun Summer Series. I wanted to make sure that you didn't miss out on this great summertime treat, so I am sharing it here on my blog today! Enjoy!

----------

We are huge ice cream fans in our house. And popsicles. And really anything that will cool us off during our hot hot summers! I love to make my own popsicles for the family, and lately I've been craving creamsicles...but have you noticed that they just don't taste the same as they did when we were kids? So I spent a little time on Pinterest and I found a lovely little recipe over at Mrs. Happy Homemaker that I pinned.

Here is my version of the recipe:

Homemade Creamsicles

2 cups of orange juice (fresh squeezed...by my husband!) - I even included some chunks of orange, just because I wanted to!
1/3 cup honey
2 cups of heavy cream
2 cups of milk
1 tablespoon of vanilla

Squeeze/juice the oranges.

In a saucepan over medium, mix the orange juice and honey. Cook until it is reduced by half, approximately 15 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, and vanilla.

Combine the reduced orange/honey mixture into the cream/milk/vanilla mixture. Mix well. Pour into popsicle molds. Freeze until set.

VERDICT:

I made these creamsicles while our oldest son was away camping, so he missed the "first try"...we couldnt wait...sorry bud! These were so creamy and so tasty. The orange flavour wasn't overwhelming, it was subtle and nice. I wondered about adding some orange zest into the mix to amp up the orange flavour. The original recipe called for orange extract, but I don't have any so I skipped that part. My husband and I both agree that this would be awesome with raspberries too...I will be making those next time! When our oldest came back from camping we gave him one to try, and he just loved it. he follows in our footsteps with a love for ice cream and popsicles. I forsee me making these again!

Strawberry Poke Cake

We celebrated our baby's first birthday on Canada Day.  I decided to go with a red and white theme for the party to tie in with Canada Day, and wanted to serve a red and white dessert - something easy, something a little different, but pretty.  I found this recipe for Strawberry Poke Cake over at Stella B's Kitchen, and it seemed perfect for the event.

Here is the recipe:

1 box white cake mix (plus applicable ingredients for the mix - eggs, water, oil)
1 small box of strawberry jello (3 oz / 85 g)
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup ice cold water
Whipping cream
Fresh strawberries, sliced

Bake the cake according to the package directions.  I baked mine in a 9 x 13 glass pan.  Be sure to completely cool the cake before moving to step two.  Using a plastic spoon or a wooden spoon handle, poke holes into the cake about 1/2 inch apart.
Stir the small box of strawberry jello  mix into 1 cup boiling water.  Stir until dissolved. Add a 1/2 cup of ice cold water.

Once the jello is dissolved, slowly spoon or pour the warm liquid jello over cake and holes, covering the cake as evenly as possible. To me, it looked like there wasn't enough jello to go on the cake, but there was.  Just trust the recipe.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

While the cake is chilling, slice your strawberries.  As many as you prefer to top the cake.  Around this time would also be ideal to put your mixing bowl and whipping attachment into the fridge to get them nice and cold for whipping the cream :-)

Just prior to serving, whip you whipping cream.  Serve your cake topped with strawberries and whip cream!  Yum!

Store leftover cake in the refigerator.

VERDICT:
My mother-in-law will confirm that I was super nervous about the cake.  It was so simple to make (it was a cake mix, no fussing around with all sorts of ingredients this time), but I just didn't think the holes in the cake and the jello were going to work out properly.  We decided that serving the cake upside down was certainly the way to go, as it hid all those holes.  And low and behold, when we cut the cake and flipped it over, it looked perfect! It was so pretty...and tasted good too!  I served it up with strawberries and real whipping cream, and it was well-received by the approximately 15 adults who ate it.  Yay!  It wasn't too sweet, which was a nice bonus.  A great summery dessert!  I will be trying it again...and maybe try some new jello flavours with it.

Lazy Daisy Cake with Coconut Topping

In my tribute to Fathers this week, my second post is one of my Father-in-Law's favourites.  If you missed my post earlier this week, it was my Dad's favourite recipe - be sure to check that one out too! 

My Father-in-law's note in his email to me with his chosen recipe read "is a favorite dessert which my mother used to make. It is a recipe from WWII when butter was rationed. Again not just my favorite but a hit with the guys, except Brother J, as it contains eggs (Brother J is allergic to eggs). As the name implies it is very easy and quick to make and best eaten fresh out of the oven with minimal cooling time. It is called a "Lazy Daisy Cake"

Here is the recipe:  (Source: Nana D's recipes)

Cake
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon butter

Preheat oven to 350F.

Beat eggs well. Beat in sugar gradually.  Stir dry ingredients together and beat into first mixture with vanilla.  Heat milk and butter. Add to batter and beat well.  Pour into buttered 8 or 9 inch square pan. Bake 30 minutes.

Coconut Topping
Just before cake is to come out of the oven, boil together:
5 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp cream (I have used milk)
1 cup coconut

Spread on hot cake and return to oven till bubbly.  Serve warm.

VERDICT:
Now, when I made the cake, the coconut soaked up any of the "bubbliness" that I was expecting as per the recipe, but I was assured that it tasted just like it should.  I made the cake while my in-laws were visiting a few weeks ago, I figured, might as well make one of my Father-in-Law's favourites while he was here visiting!  He must have thought it was OK, he had two helpings at dessert.  And my hubby and our oldest son...well...the cake was gone the next day!

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My Dad's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

If you are a reader of my articles over at Okanagan4Kids, then you know that June is all about our Dads, and my article was all about my Dad and my Father-in-law's favourite recipes.  I saved my husband's favourites for special posts here on my blog this month as June is also his birthday month.  So, like my May article, about my Mom and Mother-in-Law's recipes, I asked my Dad and my Father-in-Law to share with me their favourite recipes.  Of course, I was a little cheeky and did say that I had veto power on what they chose (again, my Mom's buns were off limits, and my Dad knew right away that I wouldn't be making liver and onions...his favourite...but torture in my eyes LOL).  My Dad so kindly shared with me his recipe for his favourite cookies...also the cookie that my oldest son loves and loves to steal from the cookie jar and Grandma and Papa's.  Today I am sharing his recipe, and on Wednesday I will share my Father-in-Law's recipe - be sure to check back for that one! 

Here is today's recipe:

Dad's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Source: My Dad!)

2 cup of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 cups oats (anything but instant oats)
1 1/2 cups of raisins 

Preheat oven to 350F

In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter.  Add in eggs, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla - mixing on low.  Increase speed to high and beat until fluffy and the colour lightens. 

Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until no flour is visible. Do not overmix - over mixing develops the gluten, making a tough cookie. Now add the oats and raisins; stir to incorporate.

Fill cookie scoop with dough - about two tablespoons.

Drop 2-inches apart onto baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.

Bake 11-13 minutes (on center rack), until golden, but still moist beneath cracks on top.

Remove from oven; let cookies sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

VERDICT:
Mu husband has delcared these his absolute favourite cookie.  Of course, I felt they needed a little chocolate, but then again, I am happy to add chocolate to almost any baking (like bacon, it just makes things better!).  These cookies did not last long in our house at all...a new cookie monster has popped up and ate them all up!

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Strawberry Banana Loaf

Many of you will notice that I've commented about this before, and I will probably comment about it again...we love banana bread in our house.  So much so that our oldest son knows that it takes 3 bananas to make banana bread, so when we get down to three in the banana bowl, he often asks if we can save them to make banana bread.
 
Over the weekend we had company and the bananas didn't get eaten.  We were so busy, we just seemed to forget they were there.  Imagine how pleased my son was to discover over breakfast today that there were 3 very ripe bananas sitting in the banana bowl (it sits on our kitchen table).  "Mommy, can we make banana bread today?"  "You bet!" was my happy answer.  I love baking with my son, it's great bonding time :-)

Well, for whatever reason, I started flipping through one of my cookbooks, looking at banana recipes.  I came across one for Strawberry Banana Loaf, so I asked my son if he would be interested in trying a new kind of banana bread, and his response was quite positive...with one request, that we add some chocolate to the bread too, so away we went, making our Strawberry Banana Loaf!

Here is the recipe: (Adapted from Company's Coming: Muffins & More)

2 eggs
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup strawberries, sliced
2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs until frothy.  Mix in oil, sugar, bananas and strawberries.  I added the strawberries last to make sure they didn't get too mashed up in the mixer.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Mix thoroughly.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring only to moisten.  Pour into a greased loaf pan (9x5x3).

Bake for approximately 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.  Cool slightly then remove from pan to a wire rack.

The original recipe stated to wrap well and allow to ripen for one day.  We couldn't wait that long, we waited a few hours until after dinner.  So we'll have to see tomorrow how the flavour changes!

VERDICT:
We all agreed that this was a nice change to banana bread.  A nice blend of complementary flavours (strawberry and banana - yum!) and I love the addition of the oats.  I did add some chocolate chips along to top on 1/4 of the loaf for our oldest son, and he was a big fan of that addition too.  This one is a keeper, we will be making it again, especially with strawberry season upon us!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Fudge

I have never tried making fudge before.  I love fudge...but just never have tried.  Somewhere along the line someone told me that it was hard to make, so I've always been a little afraid.  But I have been dreaming about fudge.  Chocolate.  With peanut butter. And pretzels.  Oh me, oh my.  Then I found this recipe that is for 5-minute fudge.  Could this be the time that I try making fudge?  Yes...indeed!!
Here is the recipe (Adapted from Carnation, Classic Five Minute Fudge)

1 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk (I used Carnation)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups marshmallows
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup pretzels, broken into smaller pieces, but not too small!

Line an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan with waxed paper.  Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt.  Bring to a rolling boil.  Stir constantly.  Boil for 4-5 minutes (set the timer!) or until the mixture starts to thicken.  You must ensure the mixture has boiled for at least 4-5 minutes or the fudge will not set.  Remove from heat.  Stir in marshmallows, chocolate chips, peanut butter and vanilla.  Mix until everything is melted and well combined.  Add in the pretzels, stir just to combine.  Pour into the baking pan.  Chill until set.  Once set, carefully remove the fudge from the baking pan by lifting the wax paper.  Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 1 inch pieces.  Enjoy!

VERDICT:
Oh....my....goodness.  My husband...the non-chocolate guy...hasn't stopped sneaking pieces of fudge.  He L-O-V-E-S it.  And I am so so so happy.  It's exactly what I had been dreaming about.  Satisfies the sweet craving, adds in a little salty AND a little crunchy.  Oh, it is so very good :-)  It could be dangerous!  I wonder how long the pan will last...

Nanaimo Bar Ice Cream Cake

Today is my husband's birthday!  Happy Birthday!!  Today's recipe is one of his favourites...you may have read it when I guest posted over at DJ's Sugar Shack...and today I am posting it here in honour of my wonderful hubby! 

This is a recipe that I printed in 2005, and have been saving until the right time to make.  I have a huge sweet tooth...my husband not so much.  But we both share a love for ice cream.  I also love Nanaimo Bars, so this recipe seemed like it could be the perfect mix of things that we both like.

At first my hubby wasn't so sure about the Nanaimo Bar part of it...too much chocolate, he thought.  Well...you'll have to read our verdict below to see what we thought! 

Here is the recipe: (Source -The Canadian Living Test Kitchen)

Nanaimo Bar Ice-Cream Cake

1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (I used Oreo)
1/2 cup sweetened coconut, shredded
1/3 cup hazelnuts (filberts), finely crushed/chopped
4 cups vanilla ice cream (I used Breyers Natural Vanilla)
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 oz (3 squares) semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used Baker’s)

Preheat oven to 350F. Ensure rack is in the centre.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in sugar. Then add in the egg yolk, cookie crumbs, coconut and 1/4 cup of the hazelnuts. Mix well. I used one of my trusty spatulas…one of my two kitchen items that I can’t live without…the other is my KitchenAid Stand Mixer!

Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with foil, leaving a 1 inch on each side for handles. Grease the foil. Scoop the crumb mixture from the saucepan into the loaf pan and press the mixture evenly into the pan.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack (leave in the pan).

While the crumb mixture is baking, soften the ice cream in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Pack firmly over the cooled crust. Freeze for 4 hours or until solid.

In a small saucepan, bring whipping cream to boil over medium. Remove from heat. Add in the chocolate, whisk until smooth. Allow to stand for 30 minutes or until cool and has started to thicken.

Pour chocolate sauce over ice cream layer, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with remaining nuts. Freeze for 1 hour or until the chocolate is firm.

To serve, let the frozen cake sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Dip pan into warm water briefly. Using foil handles, remove the cake from the pan. Dip a sharp knife into hot water, slice the cake, and serve.

VERDICT:
This was a very yummy treat! It was such a nice blend of ice cream, cookie crust, hazelnuts and coconut. We all thoroughly enjoyed it. My husband even had seconds. And he hasn't stopped talking about it ever since I made it.  When I was writing my article for Okanagan4Kids for this month, I had asked my hubby, my Dad and my Father-in-Law for their favourite recipes.  This was my hubby's first choice!  His second was my Sweet & Spicy Baby Back Ribs. 

Oh yes, back to the verdict.  This wasn't too hard to make – and is for sure one that will be made again!  We might try adding a little coffee flavouring to the ice cream next time, for an extra little twist.

My only recommendation would be to make the cake the day before and allow it to freeze overnight and serve the next day. Just to make sure that the ice cream and the chocolate topping have hardened. Enjoy!

Guest Post - Dawn from DJ's Sugar Shack

Hello everyone! I'm delighted that Dawn invited me to share a recipe today. I'm Dawn and normally you can find me sharing my adventures in baking at DJ's Sugar Shack. I started blogging in December to catalog the recipes I'd tried and to spare my friends from my endless baking stories. I love sharing my work with people that are a passionate about food and baking. Being from New Orleans, food has always been a big part of my life, but I didn't really start cooking & baking until I moved to Alaska after college. The first thing I remember baking from scratch was Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake that I found on a Philadelphia Cream Cheese package. It was pretty good but it started me on my mission to bake the perfect cheesecake. Ten years later, I finally got it right! Sorry I'm not sharing my cheese cake recipe today. That's top secret. All of you have at least one recipe that you don't share, Right? I am going to be sharing a recipe for Sopapilla Cheesecake Bites. I printed this recipe from Cookies & Cups a while back and I sure wish I had tried it earlier. I tweaked it just a little bit. These little bites full of cinnamony, cream cheesy goodness are easy as pie to make. The hardest part will waiting for the cream cheese layer to set before digging in. I may or may not have had one for breakfast this morning.

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bites

To make these you will need:

• 2 cans of Crescent Rolls

• 2 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/2 cup butter, melted

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1-2 tablespoons cinnamon, to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray a 9 x 13 pan with Pam. Unroll one package of crescent rolls and place the dough in the bottom of the pan.
• Sprinkle some cinnamon on the unbaked crescent rolls.
• In a bowl mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Spread the mixture over the crescent rolls.
• Unroll the second can of crescent rolls an lay on top of the cream cheese layer.
• Pour the melted butter over the crescent roll. Don't be afraid to use all of the butter!!! Just do it.
• In a small bowl mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon together then sprinkle mixture over the butter
• Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown.
• Let cool for 20-30 minutes before placing in the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours

What's not to love about that cinnamony crusty goodness?

I would love for you to come over to DJ's Sugar Shack & check out my sweet treats. Many many thanks to Dawn for the opportunity to guest post today!  

German Apple Cake

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms!  I know, Mother's Day was yesterday, but I'm choosing to celebrate all week long!  Yes, I'm a little cheeky sometimes :-)  In honour of Mother's Day, I asked the two wonderful Mom's that I am so lucky to have in my life to share with me their favourite recipe.  Today I am sharing my Mom's recipe for German Apple Cake, and on Thursday when you come back you will see my Mother-in-Law's recipe for Hint of Thai Sirloin with Mango Pepper Salad. 

Here is my Mom's recipe: 

German Apple Cake (source: my Mom’s recipe binder)

Cake

1 ½ cups flour

¾ cup sugar

½ cup butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ cup milk

½ teaspoon vanilla

Topping #1

Apples (about 3-4, peeled and sliced)

Topping #2

1 cup butter

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar (white)

Topping #3

1 ½ tablespoons sugar

1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.

Make the cake batter by mixing the butter, eggs, milk and vanilla.  Add in the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, and baking powder), blend, and pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish (I use glass for this cake).

Place the sliced apples (Topping #1) on top of the batter.  Slice more apples if needed to cover the cake. 

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for Topping #2 (butter, flour and sugar) and spread on top of the apples.  This topping will be very crumbly. 

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for Topping # 3 (sugar and cinnamon).  Sprinkle on top of the crumbly mixture.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  Cool before serving, though this cake is delicious when served warm (and with a heavy cream!)

VERDICT:

I grew up with this cake…so I am a little biased – this is like a comfort food for me, I love this cake!  As a teen, I would sneak pieces for breakfast (healthy, I know!).  It is SO not low-cal…but that’s OK, it’s DESSERT!  My oldest son LOVED it and has already asked me to make it again.  My husband, the non-dessert guy, also enjoyed the cake and he was sneaking pieces of it too for the short time it lasted in our house.  Thanks Mom for sharing!