Monday Morning Mmmm: Oreo Pudding Cake

11:48 pm ByFiled UnderRecipes & Food

I made my first ham yesterday. It turns out it’s about as easy as making a turkey. Take out of package, put in pan, cook for hours. I also got to use an electric knife for the first time to carve the thing.

It was a big day.

Obviously, Easter is about more than lunch and candy and bunnies. I hope you were able to celebrate the resurrection this weekend. Our church started a new sermon series that already, just one message in, is moving my heart. Stay tuned for a post about hope, based on what I heard yesterday in church!

After a great church service (and a little Easter egg hunt for Annalyn), my parents and I headed to my house for lunch. Mark helped with tear down (our church meets in a school), so I had a while to get everything on the table. The menu featured ham (seriously – a piece of cake!), bacon-wrapped green beans (because one pork just isn’t enough), deviled eggs (which were a disaster and I don’t even want to talk about peeling the shell off another one for at least another 11 months), orange jello salad from my mom (which Annalyn and I were happy to eat – and keep leftovers), crescent rolls (because I only had enough bananas for the muffins I’d signed up to take to church), and Oreo Pudding Cake.

Because I wasn’t sure how hard making a ham would be, I wanted a simple dessert. I perused my Oreo Deliciousness board on Pinterest and found this recipe from The Country Cook.

If you’re looking for a complicated or whole-foods, from-scratch dessert, keep on moving. But if you’re looking for an easy-peasy, piece-of-cake cake? I’ve got the recipe for you! (And by the way, I’m just going to say that it was accurately categorized in a board called “Oreo Deliciousness”!)

Oreo Pudding Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix
Ingredients needed for cake (usually eggs, oil and water)
2 (4 oz) packages of instant Oreo pudding
4 cups milk
Crushed Oreos (optional)

Make the cake according to package directions. When cake is almost finished baking (or right after you take it out of the oven), mix together pudding and milk. Poke holes in warm cake with a straw or the end of a wooden spoon at about 1-inch intervals across the entire cake. Pour the pudding over the cake and smooth it out. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. (Sprinkle crushed Oreos on top before serving if you’d like. I’m not sure why you wouldn’t like. But according to the original recipe, this step is optional.)

I think I just really like cold cake. Because I remember how good my snickerdoodle cake is served cold, too. And now my favorite part of this cake (aside from the Oreos) is the fact that it’s cold!

What do you like better: cold cake or warm cake?

This post will be linked to Mouthwatering Monday, Made by You Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, 33 Shades of Green, Works for Me Wednesday, What I Whipped Up Wednesday, I’m Lovin’ It, Sweet Tooth Friday, Foodie Friday and Show and Tell Saturday.

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Monday Morning Mmmm: Baked Apple Bites

4:40 am ByFiled UnderRecipes & Food

Thanks to the wonderful world of Pinterest, I have developed a burning desire to make donuts this fall. Apple donuts. Pumpkin donuts. Chocolate donuts. I mean – Donuts! Who makes their own donuts?

Clearly, a lot of people. Because they are all over the Pinterest.

Apparently, you can bake donuts (and, therefore, call them healthy). And you can use a donut tin that looks like a muffin tin (who knew?) or a donut cutter that is basically a donut-shaped cookie cutter (seriously! who knew?). I realize these are probably basic facts that any decent cook knows, but I’m telling you it has blown my mind.

I decided (despite my proclamation that I’d no longer be tempting you – and me – with recipes for delicious sweet treats) to try making donuts for my Bible study group. Last week was my turn to take the morning snack, and I thought these oven-baked apple donuts from Chocolate Shavings looked perfect.

And they WERE delicious. I mean, just look at that! One of the girls at Bible study actually said they “were like heaven in my mouth”! But I’ve got to tell you two things.

First, I just can’t call them “donuts.” I made them in a mini muffin tin, so to me, they’re muffins. Not donuts. And second, I wanted to believe that the apples and whole wheat flour I used would balance out the large amounts of butter included. But that’s not really true.

Mostly, though, I want you to know that yummy as these were, I don’t think they count as actual donuts. So I am now forced to try another donut recipe sometime in the future. [Consider that your unhealthy-but-delicious warning!]

These little apple bites (muffins? fritters? I don’t know what to call them!) are messy and a little bit bigger than bite-sized. So I won’t judge you if you just get down to business with a fork and a glass of milk. No, I won’t. You could also make three dozen instead of two, which would eliminate the bigger-than-bite-size problem. I can’t help you with the messy part, though. That’s just the beauty of food rolled in butter and cinnamon sugar.

Baked Apple Bites
Print
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Author: Adapted from Chocolate Shavings
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups apple, peeled, cored and diced
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/3 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • To Coat:
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugars, salt and and nutmeg. Add the cold, chopped butter. Mix with fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (To be honest, though, mine never actually looked like crumbs.)
  2. In a separate bowl, beat the egg. Add the milk and apples. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir with spoon (being careful not to over-mix). The batter will be thick. Place a spoonful into each mold of a buttered mini muffin pan. (I recommend using two muffin tins so they are smaller and more bite-sized.)
  3. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from the tin and lightly brush each donut with the melted butter. Dunk in a bowl with the sugar and cinnamon. Shake off excess sugar and serve warm.

I’ve got to tell you. As part of our conversation during Bible study, I was explaining to my [new] friends that I’m not comfortable in my role as stay-at-home mom. But the whole thing fell pretty flat when faced with these delicious “donuts” that I’d just happened (ha!) to whip up that morning.

No, I’m not bragging. I stand by the statement that I’m not all that domestic. But this recipe is easy and delicious, so what can I say? Maybe I’m getting something right? (Never mind my rededication to healthy eating. Just never mind it.)

Do you make your own donuts? Do you feel like you’re domestic? And have you ever heard of a donut cutter?

This post will be linked to Mouthwatering Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, 33 Shades of Green, Sweet Tooth Friday and Foodie Friday.

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Monday Morning Mmmm: Oreo Brownies

4:58 am ByFiled UnderRecipes & Food

I’ve mentioned a time or twenty that I love brownies made from a box mix. And though I’ve been making more and more food from scratch over the past year, this is one thing I refuse to budge on. Box mix brownies are simply delicious.

However, I’m not opposed to doctoring up a pan of box brownies, as evidenced by these super yummy S’mores brownies. Believe it or not, though I do love S’mores-flavored food, I actually love Oreo-flavored food even more. (Or Oreo-themed food. Or just plain Oreos. No, not plain. Double stuffed. With milk.)

It stands to reason, then, that combining two of my very favorite chocolate treats into one dish could not possibly be wrong. And it wasn’t! I made these Oreo brownies from Cookies and Cups last week for a snack to serve during my first Blessings Unlimited party, and Oh. My. Goodness. They are crazy rich and not healthy AT ALL, but wow, were they good!

So good, in fact, that I took the majority of the pan to Annalyn’s preschool teachers just to rid my house of the temptation! (Not before eating two. And not before saving two more. But for the record, I did not eat them all in one day!)

Speaking of healthy food – or not, as the case may be – this recipe may have to tide us over for a while in the sweet treats department. Since I’ve returned to Weight Watchers [again], it’s just not smart for me to make these delicious desserts to share with you.

Don’t panic! That’s not to say I won’t share simple, delicious recipes every Monday. [Yes, I really am sitting here on the other side of the computer screen, imagining you all freaking out at the thought of making it through Monday without a recipe from me. Just let me have my fantasies, will you?] That’s not even to say I’ll never share another simple, delicious dessert recipe again. I’m just going to throw more healthy (or, at least, healthier) recipes into the mix. You know, stuff that doesn’t require blocks of cream cheese or sticks of butter?

Now, on with the recipe. It’s not hard, but it does have several steps, so it takes about an hour, total, to make this one. But, again, believe me when I say it is so worth it!

Oreo Brownies
Print
Recipe Type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 1 box brownie mix and ingredients needed according to the package directions
  • 1 (16.6 oz.) package Oreo cookies, divided equally into thirds, coarsely chopped
  • 1 (8 oz.) tub of Cool Whip, thawed in fridge
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
  1. Prepare brownies according to package directions, folding in 1/3 of the chopped Oreos. Bake according to package directions and let brownies cool completely.
  2. Mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar and Cool Whip until smooth. Fold in another 1/3 of chopped Oreos. Spread mixture on top of cooled brownies.
  3. Melt the chocolate chips and the vegetable oil in the microwave on medium power for 1 minute. Stir and repeat for 30 seconds at a time, until melted. Spread melted chocolate evenly over the cream cheese layer.
  4. Sprinkle the remaining Oreos on top of melted chocolate. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Cut into squares and watch them disappear!
Notes

Source: cookiesandcups.com

Which do you prefer: plain brownies or “doctored up” brownies?

This post will be linked to Mouthwatering Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, 33 Shades of Green, Sweet Tooth Friday, Foodie Friday and Ingredient Spotlight at Eat at Home Cooks.

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Monday Morning Mmmm: Chocolate Cake in a Mug

6:00 am ByFiled UnderRecipes & Food

It may not look pretty, but it is fast and tasty. You want to know about this recipe. (Also, use a bigger mug.)

I really like to cook. And I really like chocolate. But making a whole chocolate dish for just one person? (Because my husband doesn’t love chocolate and my daughter only gets “treats” if she eats all her veggies and that just doesn’t always happen.)

Not a great idea.

A couple weeks ago, Mark’s dad and brother were over for lunch. They were lamenting that they don’t often cook some of their favorite foods, because as men living alone, they just can’t finish a whole cake by themselves.

Um, yeah. Let’s just say I have the opposite problem. Or not. We don’t actually have to talk about it at all. But that IS why I was excited to see a recipe for chocolate cake for one on Simply Cooked, my blog match for the month with the Secret Recipe Club.

[That sounds fun, doesn't it? Secret? Club? For recipes? Right. It's as awesome as it sounds and more, so if you cook and blog about it, check it out.]

Chocolate Cake for One (in a mug)
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
pinch of salt

Spray the inside of a [large] mug with baking spray. Mix the dry ingredients in the mug. Combine the wet ingredients and then add them, mixing well. (For the record, “mixing well” sounds a lot easier than it is, especially if you happen to use a mug that is too small for this project.) Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Let stand for five minutes so you don’t scald your mouth, and then dig in!

My mini cake was pretty tasty, but I do believe I’ll add some chocolate chips next time. And maybe some ice cream. I didn’t happen to have any ice cream on hand, but I imagine a scoop of vanilla on this puppy would really take it over the top!

Simply Cooked is a great blog about simple, healthy, home-cooked meals. Sarah says that she’s a veggie lover married to a carnivore, so she’s creative in her cooking. However, she’s also a math teacher who happens to live in Hong Kong (and cook in a tiny kitchen), so she loves keeping meals simple. In other words, she’s my kind of cook!

Also, I can’t wait to try Sarah’s chocolate snacking cake when I have more time and more people to feed!

By the way, did you see my other Secret Recipe Club entries? You might notice a pattern (a dessert pattern): First came baked apple crumble and next was double chocolate pumpkin muffins. Yum!

Have you ever made dessert for one? (And I don’t mean a 9×13 pan that you polish off by yourself. In three days.) (What? You’ve never done that? Okay, right. I was totally joking.)

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Monday Morning Mmmm: Faux Mexican Ice Cream

8:20 pm ByFiled UnderRecipes & Food

This isn’t really a recipe. Well, it started out that way. But the last time I shared a recipe that didn’t really work out, you all didn’t like it. [As in, *crickets.*] So. This isn’t really a recipe.

It’s more along the lines of . . . my new favorite thing.

Back before Cinco de Mayo, Tatertots and Jello featured a tutorial for Faux Fried Ice Cream. It made me even sadder that I wasn’t having a Cinco de Mayo party. Or dinner. Or lunch.

So a couple weeks ago, when Michelle and I planned a Mexican fiesta, I decided it was finally [finally!] time to make this dessert. I had great intentions, I did. But soft ice cream + a complicated menu + two people and a three-year-old in one kitchen = no go.

The way it’s supposed to be done: Scoop vanilla ice cream and squish into balls with  ziploc-covered hands. Crush up corn flakes and add cinnamon and sugar. Roll the ice cream ball in the cereal. Freeze and serve later. Serve in a fried tortilla and garnish with whipped cream and a cherry.

The way I’m doing it and I’m liking it and you can’t stop me: Scoop a bunch of vanilla bean ice cream into a bowl. Cover it with cinnamon and sugar-seasoned corn flakes. Eat.

What’s your favorite way to eat ice cream?

This post will be linked to Mouthwatering Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, 33 Shades of Green, Sweet Tooth Friday and Foodie Friday. It will also be linked to Ingredient Spotlight at Eat at Home.

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