Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes

The Perfect Taste for Fall

The Good:  I made these for my co-workers when I worked at the hospital and they were gone quickly.

The Bad: Fall only comes once a year!

The Ugly:  Crystallized ginger is extremely expensive unless you find the right store.

Suggestions before starting:
I like to "seal" cakes and cupcakes with a thin layer of icing while it is still warm to keep in the moisture.  As you can see in the picture, I was a little impatient when I went back to finish icing them so the icing became a bit runny and not so pretty.

If you don't already have ginger, cinnamon or ground cloves and are wondering if this recipe would be worth buying those spices, check out our Chai Tea recipe.  All three of this spices are in both recipes and are delicious!

Oreo Truffles

Chocolate... need I say more?

The Good:  If you are a chocolate lover, these are for you!
The Bad: These are almost too chocolaty.
The Ugly: NOT INTENDED FOR DIABETICS!

Suggestions before starting:
Use quality chocolate!  Cheaper chocolate is not good for dipping.
I wanted mint chocolate but it was not available so we added a bit of mint extract while melting the chocolate.
In order to evenly melt the chocolate it is common to use a double boiler.  Dave and I do not have a double boiler yet so we created our own... more ghettofied version by using 1 pot on the bottom with water and 1 on top with the chocolate.

Heavenly Angel Food Cake with a Wicked Twist

Light and fluffy, fruity and oooo so tasty!

 

The Good:  You have to like scrumptious desserts to like this.

The Bad: I think it gradually flattened... we had to make it 2 days early.

The Ugly: Be very quiet! Loud noises will drop any cake!

 

Suggestions before starting:

My mother always told me to separate the yolk from the white by cracking the egg in 1/2 and gently passing it back and forth between the two halves.

Do not forget to continue onto the second step while it says wait 30 minutes.

If you do not have a sifter you can use a very small holed screen/strainer.

Family Favorite- Apple Coffee Cake

Succulent, flavorful and perfect for any time of the day or night!

The Good: This is an absolutely delicious cake that is easy to make and perfect for any occasion.

The Bad: This cake never lasts long.

The Ugly: My coworker keeps threatening me because it took so long to post this.

Suggestions before starting:

As with all recipes I make, I set out the eggs so they will be luke warm when I am ready to make the cake.

Usually 2 apples are enough for this recipe.  We always use Granny Smith apples because they are perfect for baking.  Make sure to dice them fairly small.  My parents usually use a grater for the apples but I like them larger; however, if they are too large it will not bake properly.

The recipe calls for 1 cup of walnuts... I leave these out.  I do not like walnuts but my parents always add them.

Immediately after removing from the oven I cover the cake with a clean towel to keep in the moisture.

Tiramisu

Delicate, with a hint of chocolaty coffee, Tiramisu is an incredible Italian dessert.

The Good:  Although this is traditionally an Italian dish, it goes well after any meal.  Its refreshing and easy to make.

The Bad:  Sometimes it can be hard to find Mascarpone cheese and lady fingers.

The Ugly: This unfortunately is not a dish that you can eat immediately after preparing.  It has a long cooling period, including a one hour cooling period after step one.

Suggestions before starting:

The recipe calls for a 7x11 pan.  We used a 9 x 13 and it was still delicious.

If you are unable to find lady fingers I have found recipes that use vanilla wafers.  Please remember this will change the consistency because lady fingers are very delicate, whereas, vanilla wafers are heavier.

Lemon Cookies

If only all things in life were as simple and delicious, I present to you Easy Lemon Cookies

The Good: Cheap, delicious and did I mention easy?  This is a great recipe if you have children that want to help in the kitchen.
The Bad: If you like just a subtle hint of lemon, this is not the recipe for you.
The Ugly: I once saw a 6'7 guy fight with a 5'5 girl over the last cookie. She won...

Suggestions before starting:
Whenever baking cookies and using the same cookie sheet, remember the batches after the first will not take as long b/c the pan will already be warm.
When I made the cookies I was worried about putting too much powdered sugar on them and ended up not getting the design that the original website has.

Peanut Butter Pie

Creamy, delicious, simple and craved by many,

this peanut butter pie is sure to be the talk of any event!

The Good: This recipe is so easy and always a big hit!
The Bad: Everyone that has tried or seen pictures of this pie has begged for me to make them one.
The Ugly: This recipe is not good for people with peanut allergies.

Suggestions before starting:
I am not a chocolate person so I prefer to not use chocolate syrup on top.  In the picture above I melted sugar in a pan to make a crunchy caramel topping.  Although it tasted great it did not look as great a couple days later.
Another option that is not as chocolaty, Dave and I sprinkled cocoa powder on top and it looked fantastic and did not have a strong chocolate flavor!

Salted Peanut Chews-Family Favorite

Chewy, crunchy, sweet and Ooooo so tasty!

The Good: This recipe is great for carry-ins, parties or whatever occasion!  Also, I am not a fan of salty foods and I love this dessert.  It does not taste salty at all.
The Bad: The original recipe calls for yellow cake mix plus but it no longer exists... I've found the newer version (super, I believe) is harder to get to set right.
The Ugly: Since bringing this dish into work I have had coworkers threatening to do terrible things to me if I do not give them the recipe.

Suggestions before starting:
It is important to make sure the butter is completely softened before mixing.  Otherwise it is increasingly difficult to mix the cake batter.
Although the recipe says the base will be crumbly, it needs to be moist enough to hold the base ingredients together.  Egg size can be an issue for this step.  If you use too small of an egg it will just fall apart.  It is almost better to have too much egg than not enough.  One extra-large egg would be best for the recipe but using two small and gradually mixing it in will do just as well.
If you are someone who like to jump ahead on a recipe, DON'T! Timing is everything for this recipe, follow the order the recipe gives you and the timeline it gives you.
Easy cutting tip: Use a knife to run around the inside edge of the pan. Then take a large cutting board and sit it on top of 13 x 9 pan and flip until it breaks free from dish.  If you have a second cutting board you can flip it again and cut the bars while they are free from the pan.

Pumpkin Dutch Apple Pie

A common holiday favorite with a not-so-common twist!

The Good: If you are tired of the same old pumpkin pie, this is a delicious twist that is easy and quick to prepare.
The Bad: Although it is quick to prepare, this is not good for time constraints because it has to bake for 50 minutes.
The Ugly:  Typical pumpkin pies will turn green with envy when this is the new holiday favorite!

Suggestions before starting:
Be careful not to cut the apples too early in advance because they will begin to brown up.  If it is necessary, cover with the lemon juice the recipe calls for to keep from browning.
Set ingredients from the fridge on the counter before starting the recipe so they will be approximately room temperature when you make the recipe.  This will help the ingredients mix more easily.
If you are like me, you do not like nuts in your pies. Do not worry, just leave them out!  This is true for most pie recipes (with the exception of pecan pie).

Peanut Butter Puppy Chow - Family Favorite

A dish you won't be willing to share with your dog!

As long as I can remember my mother has made this wicked recipe and allowed my sisters and I to help her in the kitchen.  This peanut butter treat is absolutely delicious and easy for the little ones to help with.

The Good:  This recipe is sinfully easy, cheap and everyone loves it!
The Bad:  This recipe can get messy but that's 1/2 the fun.
The Ugly: This recipe is not advised for people with peanut allergies.

Suggestions before starting:
The original recipe suggests using a grocery bag; however, with my severe case of germaphobia I would never consider it.  I use a 2 large Ziploc bags per recipe and split it up.  Once the recipe is finished I put it in a fresh bag or dish for appeal.
If you can't find 12 oz bags of peanut butter chips, don't fret! The closest you can come to 12 oz will be perfect.  This recipe does not need to be exact on any of the measurements.
I like to use a softer spatula/spoonula to mix the chex to keep from breaking too many.
The recipe has never specified an amount of powdered sugar... I've never used a whole bag.

The moment we've all been waiting for: The Recipe!

Recipe # 1 - Pumpkin Spice Crème Brûlée

If you like delicious... this is your dish. Dave and I made these for a Halloween party.  We could barely get them to the party without drooling on them ourselves.  The people brave enough to try them said, "These are better than pumpkin pie!"

The Good: The recipe is easy to make, delicious, festive and definitely unique.
The Bad: The recipe takes a lot of preparation time. It is difficult to pour the water into the roasting pan without it spilling into the pumpkins.
The Ugly: If you don't already have all of the spices it can become a bit costly to make this recipe.