CofFEE SIMPLE Cake with Pecans

Okay, so I've been wanting to make this for the longest time, and maybe I got a little over eager. It's delicious, and if you tried a piece [there are samples in the law school lobby], just beware that this isn't the typical coffee cake.  It has a lighter cake than is typical, and I added granola to the top for a little crunch. Enjoy, and good luck with finals!!

What you'll need for the...
Crumb Topping: 

- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 steel cut oats (or I used granola)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- pinch of salt

Cream Cheese Swirl:

- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Coffee Cake: 

- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup apple sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs


How you make it:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Mix together your flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl beat together the butter and sugar until it is fluffy. Then add the eggs, buttermilk, and apple sauce. Next, gradually add in the dry ingredients, making sure to everything is combined well. Add in the sour cream and mix well.

Pour the mixture into the greased pan.

Now make the cream cheese swirl. Beat together the cream cheese and brown sugar until fluffy, mix in the vanilla, cinnamon, and pecans.

Spoon the cream cheese mixture on top of the cake batter. Then, use a butter knife to swirl the cream cheese throughout the mixture. Do not over mix!

Lastly, you will top it all off with the crumb mixture! Mix all of the crumb ingredients in a small bowl, mix with a fork until the mixture resembles yummy crumbles, and then top the cake off with all of it!

Bake for 40-45 minutes and then enjoy the yummy, dense, crumbly, and oh so good cake! NOMSSSSSS

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEAGAN! Articles of CONFETTIracy TRUFFLES!

Today is Ms. Meagan Roach's Birthday! Ay Ayyyyy!! In celebration of this pretty lady's day, I decided to bring back and oldie in a whole new form! Meagan wouldn't tell me her favorite cake, but who doesn't love funfetti cake?!? I decided to mix it up by making them into NO BAKE truffles! Bite sized and absolutely delicious! Yummers

What you'll need:

- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened

- 1/2 cup white sugar

- 1 1/2 cups flour

- 1 cup yellow cake mix

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1/8 teaspoon salt

- 3-4 tbsp milk

- 2 tbsp sprinkles

Truffle Coating:

- 1 1/2 cups white chocolate

- sprinkles

 
How you make it: 


Start by beating together the butter and sugar in an electric mixer. When combined, add in the vanilla, cake mix, flour, salt, and mix thoroughly. Next, add 3 tablespoons of milk. It takes a little time, but the mixture should be a doughy consistency. If it is too dry, add the last tablespoon of milk. Then add in the sprinkles and mix with a wooden spoon. Roll the dough into one inch balls and place them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Then chill balls in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up.
 

While dough is in the fridge, melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second interval, mixing after each interval until fully melted. Next, dip the cold truffles into chocolate and shake off any excess. Do this one at a time and try to work quickly because the warm chocolate begins to melt the dough. Then place the little nuggets back on the cookie sheet and top with lots of sprinkles

Chill the truffles in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve!

The birthday girl is the sexy lady in the middle! Doesn't her hair look great?!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEAGAN!!! 

With the extra yellow cake mix, I made Meagan a rainbow (her favorite)

Yellow cake, food coloring, and some dark chocolate merlot ganache frosting! (Frosting: melt 1/2 cup butter with 3/4 cups dark chocolate chips in a microwave. Mix well and add in 1/4 cup of merlot wine. Mix and refrigerate for 20 mins or until sets to a creamy texture. Then frost!)

Russian WarranTEA Cakes

Yum Yum Yum! My mother's favorite cookies! She tells me they are like the cookies she ate growing up in Ukraine. I've been on a mission to replicate them for my her. I've tried multiple recipes before and somehow they just never worked out. UNTIL NOW! Try these little delicious treasures! They're delicate, buttery, perfectly sweet, with a nice nutty crunch. yummmmmmmm

[Sidebar: these gems are also known as "Snowballs"and "Mexican Wedding Cake"]

What you'll need:
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans

How you make it:

Start by toasting the pecans in a 400 degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the butter in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in a 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and the vanilla. Beat this mixture well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, and salt. Then add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, slowly. When everything comes together, add in the pecans and mix with a wooden spoon.

Divide the dough in half and form each half into a ball. Separately wrap the two portions of dough in plastic and chill them in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Now preheat you oven to 350 degrees.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Bake the cookies until light brown on their bottoms and just pale golden on top. This s approximately 16-18 minutes. MAKE SURE NOT TO OVER BAKE THE COOKIES or they will be dry and not tasty :(

Let the cookies slightly cool, and then gently toss the lukewarm cookies in powdered sugar. Make sure to coat the cookies completely.

Then set the cookies aside and let them cookie completely. Once completely cooled, roll them in powdered sugar again.

YUM YUM YUM!!!!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Peanut BUT-FOR CAUSATION Bars

These are healthy (woot woot!) and delicious. Plus, SUPER easy to make! Life is good with these babies around :)

What you need:
- 1.5 cups quick cooking oats
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate, but you can use any kind)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk, but any kind will work)
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup peanut butter (I used chunky to get an extra crunch)
- 1 mashed banana or a 1/3 cup of apple sauce
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon

How you make it:

Mix all of the ingredients together, pour the mixture into a lightly greased 8x8 inch baking pan or a 9inch pie tin and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes! Presto! Healthy dessert, snack, or breakfast! Also, next time I make this, I'm going to substitute the chocolate chips for dried cranberries or fresh apples chunks! nom nom nom !!!