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Desserts & Sweets

Peanut Butter Meltaways

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When I was a cook at a Pre-Kindergarten center in my hometown, all the staff, and teachers that worked in the building would bring in special treats from time to time. One of my favorites was the peanut butter melt-a-ways that one of the social workers, Jen, brought in. They were her mother-in-law’s recipe and oh are they good! They melt in your mouth, and they’re so delicious! Not to mention, these are probably the easiest homemade candy I ever made!

Ingredients

2 c white chocolate melts

1/2 c light cocoa melts or milk chocolate melts

1 c smooth peanut butter

2 Tbsp konut* (a chocolate softener) or EVCO*

Directions

Add the melts to a microwavable container. Melt using 15 – 30 second settings, be careful not to burn. Add konut and peanut butter to the melted chocolate and stir to combine completely.

While still warm and pourable, pour into small candy/petit-a-four/mini cupcake paper cups. Refrigerate until hardened. Enjoy!

Keep refrigerated.

*Note: I use 2 tbsp of extra virgin coconut oil in place of konut. When I find konut I’ll make a batch of these melt-a-ways and post the difference between using konut and coconut oil.

Basic Muffin Recipe

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Sweet Potato Muffins

This is a basic muffin recipe that I have adapted to my own liking. I then decided that it was so good, I should use it as my basic recipe and just change the flavors, so I did!

This muffin recipe is easy and delicious! To change the flavor (say from applesauce to sweet potato), I just changed the flavor. Instead of using a cup of applesauce, I use a cup of sweet potato puree!

I’ve used this muffin mix to make banana nut muffins, cranberry-orange muffins, applesauce muffins and sweet potato muffins and it worked like a gem with them all!

In addition to working for different muffin recipes, the best thing about this recipe is that it’s a one-bowl, easy peasy, get-er-done dish!

Ingredients

1 ½ c AP flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

½ tsp allspice

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

½ c packed light brown sugar

1/2 c granulated sugar

½ c melted butter

3T melted EVCO

1 c unsweetened sweet potato puree, applesauce, etc

½ c chopped walnuts

1 tsp vanilla

Topping

½ c quick oats

½ c AP flour

¼ c light brown sugar

¼ c granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

oil (until sugar/flour mixture looks like wet sand)

Best Snickerdoodles Ever

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Let me introduce you to my little friends! Yum and then some!

Cookies Anyone?

This recipe was adapted from a couple of different snickerdoodle recipes, with some special ingredients of my own. If you love a good cinnamon, sugar cookie, try my snickerdoodle recipe and please send me a comment and let me know what you think!

Snickerdoodles are my most requested cookie out of all the different cookies that I make! I’ve even had to ship them off to relatives out of town a couple of times, they’re that good! I love sweets and desserts of all kinds but I must admit that I have a particular weakness for a good cinnamon, sugar cookie!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups AP flour

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 stick of unsalted butter

1/2 cup of extra virgin coconut oil (hardened)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cream of tartar

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Rolling Sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Directions

Cream sugar, butter, and EVCO together until combined smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Lastly, add vanilla and mix to thoroughly combine.

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl or container, and add in thirds to butter/sugar mixture. Mix well and put into a bowl with a cover. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, 3+ hours or overnight.

Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, toss into cinnamon sugar to cover completely. Bake on a large cookie sheet, 12 cookies to a sheet. Do not press down dough balls, they will flatten on their own while baking.

Bake @ 350F for 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes then move from cookie sheet to a rack or container to continue the cooling process. When completely cooled, store cookies in a cookie jar or container with a lid. If your family loves cookies, they won’t last long!

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

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Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups crushed pretzels or pretzel crackers (I use Flipside pretzel crackers)

3 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup butter or margarine

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 16-ounce Cool Whip (divided – 8oz for filling/8oz for garnish)

1 6-ounce package Strawberry Jello

2 cups boiling water

1 -16 ounce bag frozen sliced strawberries

Cool Whip for garnishing

 

Directions:

Crust: Melt butter; add sugar. Crush pretzels with rolling pin and add to butter mixture. Press into bottom of greased 9X13 inch baking pan. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees; cool well.

1st Layer: Combine cream cheese and 1 cup sugar; beat well. Add Cool Whip; spread over cooled crust. Pour or spoon thickened jello mixture over cream cheese mixture and set until firm.

2nd Layer: Add 2 cups boiling water to Jello; mix well, cool. Add frozen strawberries to jello. Cool Jello mixture to egg white consistency. Pour over cream cheese layer.

Spread additional Cool Whip over the top, cover with foil & refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Orange Dream Cake

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Orange Dream CakeThis orange dream cake is not only good, it’s super easy! My mother made her cakes from box cake mixes, 99% of the time. She was too busy working and raising kids to do everything from scratch, so she chose her battles – and desserts were where she used a lot of tips and tricks, which I’ll share with you. Even though Mommy made box cakes, they were never based on the recipe on the back of the cake box. She always “doctored it up” as she called it. The doctoring must be the trick cause her cakes were hugh successes all around! Simple, easy and delicious! Just like my Mom’s cakes, this orange dream cake will be a big hit with your family, it tastes just like a dreamsicle! This photo and recipe are the property of The Blue Rooster Bake Shop in Lawrenceville, GA! I worked for the Blue Roo as an intern during culinary school and as my first “food industry” job! I loved the owners Kyle and Doug Wright, their family and the people I worked with! If you’re in Lawrenceville, stop by and tell Kyle “hi” for me – and make sure you have something to eat! Everything’s awesome!

Orange Dreamsicle Cake
Author: Sweet Mother
The cake in the photo is decorated with candied orange rind that I had on hand when I worked at the Blue Rooster Café in Lilburn, GA where the photo was taken. My recipe is also a modified version of the one we used at the Blue Roo!
Ingredients
  • 1 c. water
  • 1/3 c. orange juice
  • 1/3 c. vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp. orange zest
  • Icing
  • 1/2 c. butter
  • 1/2 c. shortening
  • 1 Tbsp. orange extract
  • 1tsp. vanilla extract
  • 4 c. confectioners sugar
  • 1/4 c. HWC or half and half
  • Mix butter and shortening together. Add remaining ingredients. Voila! Perfect buttercream icing!
  • Add 1 c. cool whip or dream whip
  • 1 tsp. orange food coloring
  • 1 Tbsp. orange zest
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Spray two 8″ or 9″ round cake pans with Bakers Ease, flour and shortening mixture – or grease with shortening and flour. (Use baking cups for cupcakes).
  3. Mix, water, oil and eggs in large bowl at low speed until moistened. Beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Pour into prepared cake pans.
  4. Bake 30 minutes. Check for doneness by pressing lightly on cake surface. It should spring back. Also check by inserting toothpick in center. It is done if it comes out clean with no batter or crumbs clinging to toothpick. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely before frosting. Ice cake and decorate as desired.

Old Fashioned Caramel Cake

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Caramel Cake

Old Fashioned Caramel Cake

I am calling this dessert old fashioned caramel cake because it has a yummy caramel icing that reminds you of caramel candy. To make it even better, it’s hugging on a luscious yellow cake. I have to admit, this cake gave me a hard time because, it’s a caramel cake which means you have to make caramel! Problem was, I couldn’t find my candy thermometer so I think I overcooked my caramel a bit as it was really like caramel candy, thick and shiny and I couldn’t spread it. I put it in my Kitchenaid and whipped it about 20 minutes.  I  put it in a container and in the fridge overnight and the next day I put it in a pan over another pan of hot water. When it warmed and became pliable again, I added about 1/4 can of evaporated milk and about 2 c of confectioner’s sugar and let it cool. After it cooled, I iced my cake and it was so good!  It really did remind me of old fashioned caramel cakes we use to have at church! I still am not 100% with this recipe because I want the icing to be a little more whipped but this will do just fine until I perfect it! Enjoy!

Old Fashioned Caramel Cake
Author: Sweet Mother
For me, a caramel cake is the ultimate “old school, remember when, like Grandma use to make” dessert. This isn’t the final recipe but it’s darn close and so good you’ve got to try it. Please let me know what you think and what you did to make this recipe better! Thanks!
Ingredients
  • 3 1/4 c cake flour
  • 1/2 pkg instant vanilla pudding
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 1/2 c granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • Icing
  • 2 sticks salted butter
  • 3 3/4 c granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 pt evaporated milk
  • Directions
  • Put 2 sticks of salted butter in a heavy bottom pot over medium high heat to melt. Add sugar to melted butter and stir while sugar melts. Cook until light brown. Add evaportated milk and reduce heat to medium low. Cook until smooth stirring occasionally until a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees (soft ball stage). Remove from heat and beat with a wooden spoon or mixer about 20 minutes until shiny.
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 – 9″ cake pans, set aside. Cream 2 sticks of unsalted butter together with 2 1/2 c of granulated sugar till fluffy, then add vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time. Sift dry ingredients together and add to wet mixture in thirds. Mix until fully incorporated then pour cake mix into the two prepared cake pans, being careful to pour equal amounts in each pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick in the middle of the cake to the bottom and have it come out of the cake clean. Remove from oven when done and allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pans to rack and cool completely. Frost cake.

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

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Peanut Butter Pie

I fell in love with chocolate peanut butter pie after eating it at a restaurant that was located at the edge of Piedmont Park in Atlanta that I can’t remember the name of the restaurant (something on the park – etc) but I definitely remember the chocolate peanut butter pie. When I made the pie in Atlanta, I recreated what I ate and it really turned out great!  Now, you can find peanut butter pie recipes all over the internet – some look good, some look “interesting” if you know what I mean! Anywho, I played with a couple of different recipes, added some things of my own and this is my version of chocolate peanut butter pie. Trust me when I say, it’s soul good!!! It’s very rich, a little slice goes a long way, so cut it like cheese cake. Truth is, I made this pie in a cheese cake (spring form) pan and served it at my church as peanut butter cheese cake! It was a hit!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Sweet Mother
This pie is so delicious – especially if you love peanut butter like I do! Slice it thin cause it’s so rich and decadent that a little bit goes a long way!
Ingredients
  • The filling:
  • 1 c creamy peanut butter
  • 1 1/4 c powdered sugar
  • 8oz pkg of cream cheese
  • 8oz container of cool whip
  • The crust:
  • 1/2 stick of melted unsalted butter
  • About 30 Oreo cookies – ground into crumbs using a food processor
  • 1/2 c chocolate ice cream topping – divided
  • 4oz of cool whip for topping/garnish
  • 1/4 c crushed honey roasted peanuts for garnish
Instructions
  1. Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter. Mix well to make sure all cookie crumbs are coated with melted butter. Press buttered crumbs into a 9 inch pie pan, taking care to press them up the sides of the pan to create a full cookie crust. Bake crust at 350 F for 7-8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
  2. Whip peanut butter and cream cheese together using the medium high setting on your mixer. Add sugar and stir by hand to incorporate sugar into peanut butter cream cheese mixture. Add 8oz cool whip to mixture and mix on medium high setting until the filling is totally mixed together.
  3. Drizzle 1/4 c of chocolate syrup onto cooled crust in bottom of pie pan. Scoop peanut butter filling into into pie shell and spread evenly info shell. Add 4-6 oz of cool whip to garnish top of pie, peaking and swirling. Drizzle 1/4 c. chocolate sauce across the top and sprinkle with crushed nuts. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Sprinkle the top with cocoa, cut, serve and enjoy!

Mama Lil’s Lemon Pudding Cake

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Today while doing some online research into soul food recipes, I found a cake recipe on a site written by a man named Corey Jarrell. His grandmother, Mrs. Lillian Fox was known for her fabulous soul food and her hospitality, or as the article put it, “Good nature and kindness were Mama Lil’s signature ingredients”.  

Corey’s grandmother was featured in an article in their local newspaper, the KY Post and Times Star. The newspaper profiled Mrs. Fox in a full page spread for their popular Food section. The article was written by Fern Storer, food editor for the Post from 1951 to 1976, and in it they dished the real meaning of soul food, family and stuff like that.  I have added a picture of her delicious Lemon Pudding Cake that I baked below, and a link to the recipe on Corey’s site, “I’ll Keep You Posted”. His site is loaded with interesting stories and recipes. He writes with passion, flair and honesty.Mrs. Fox   Click here for Corey’s site

By the way, I’m trying to help Corey find an antique cookbook called “A Domestic Cook Book: Containing a Careful Selection of Useful Receipts for the Kitchen”, by Mrs. Malinda Russell, an Experienced Cook, Paw Paw, Michigan, 1866.  A Facsimile with introduction by Janice Bluestein Longone. Inland Press, Detroit, Michigan, April 2007. (ISBN 978-1-4255-8881-6).  If anybody has any idea where he can find a copy of this cookbook, please let me know at your earliest convenience and thank you!

Mrs. Fox and her fabulous lemon pudding cake.

Mama Lil's Lemon Pudding Cake

I made Mama Lil’s Lemon Pudding cake and it was as good as it looks in the photo I took. Everybody loved it! I actually made two and took one to church. So moist and lemony, really good!

Triple Chocolate Turtle Cookies

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I made these turtle cookies after I saw a photo of them on pinterest. I went to the website of the recipe author and baked up a batch following the recipe I found. The only change I made was to spread the chocolate on the cookie instead of drizzling it. I wanted my cookies to look like the candy it’s named after, and this did it for me. Decadent! Find the recipe at … http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/triple-chocolate-turtle-cookies/

The photo below is my version of this over the top fabulous cookie! So good!!!

Triple Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Sister Beckys 7-Up Pound Cake

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7 Up Pound CakeMy sister Becky, got the recipe for 7-Up pound cake from my cousin Dee (Delores). Anyway, I got the benefit of their transaction and all I can say is delicious! My sister’s cake was made from scratch and was moist and luscious! There are some recipes online using a box mix too! I say whatever floats your boat (works for you) and tastes good!

 

Sister Becky’s 7-Up Pound Cake
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 – 10″ pound cake
Ingredients
  • 1 1/4 cup butter (softened)
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 larges eggs
  • 3 cups self-rising flour
  • 2 tsps. lemon extract
  • 1 cup 7-Up
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (165 degrees C). Heavily grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the lemon extract. Sift flour and add to bowl alternately with the 7-Up, mixing just until incorporated.
  3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Allow to cool on a cake rack for 30 minutes before removing from the pan.
Serving size: 1 pc