All posts in Sweets

I don’t know if you’ve ever bought a package of wonton wrappers before but my goodness are there a ton in there. So instead of trashing them or throwing them into the freezer (which, in my kitchen, is a little like trashing them) I decided to try to use them up. & I was craving something sweet. So why not plop some nutella in them? Who doesn’t love nutella? Who doesn’t love bananas & nutella? That’s what I thought. Buuuuut I was still bored with it. I’m a big condiment dipping sauce person. You know Edward Norton’s part of Fight Club in the beginning when he talks about his fridge full of condiments? That’s how mine would be too. I always want to dip something into something. So I decided just to throw a few things together & somehow I created the most brilliant cream sauce ever. I literally just wanted to drink it. Or turn it into ice cream (TBA.. .) I mean it would not have been an honest question to ask if I wanted some nutella bites with banana creme sauce. Nutella bites what? Okay, okay, I might just be a wee bit exaggerating buuuuuut seriously, this sauce is good. You should skip the nutella bites & just dip strawberries into it. See, the sauce overtook my post.

What You Need:

• Nutella
• Wonton wrappers
• 2 bananas (1 for slicing on top, 1 for the creme sauce)
• 8 oz heavy cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp light agave nectar
• dash of cinnamon

What You Do:

• Preheat oven to 350° & grease a cookie sheet
• Put about a teaspoon of nutella on each wonton wrapper, fold corner to corner & seal.
• Bake for about ten minutes, until golden brown.
• Puree banana down in a blender or food processor.
• Combine cream, vanilla, agave, & cinnamon. Then add the pureed banana until thoroughly mixed. I actually threw the whole combination back into the processor.
• Allow nutella bites to cool for a couple minutes then top with sliced banana & cream sauce. I also added a bit of toasted coconut.
• Serve & enjoy!

So in honor of the inexplicable anticipation for the new season of Breaking Bad, we had to do it. It was as if we didn’t have a choice. & while meth seems more profitable.. . rock candy seems more tasty. Oh, & legal.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of water
• 3/4 cup of light corn syrup
• 2 cups of granulated sugar
• 2 tsp of flavoring extract ( we used raspberry)
• 1 drop of food gel coloring

Directions

• Line small cookie sheet with tin foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray
• In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat add the water, corn syrup, and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.
• Bring the mixture to a boil and stop stirring. Brush down the sides of the pan to prevent crystals from forming and insert a candy thermometer.
• Continue to cook without stirring until the mixture gets to 300 degrees Fahrenheit  (149 C)
• When temperature reaches 300° F, remove from heat and let sit until bubbles stop breaking from the surface.
• Add the flavoring and food coloring and stir together well.
• Pour the candy on prepared cookie sheet and tilt to form a thin layer and let sit completely until room temperature.
• Once set to room temperature, break into small pieces by hand.
• To store, place in airtight container and in room temperature.

Churro Cupcakes

Makes about 12 cupcakes. Taken from Dishing the Divine.

What You Need:

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg, plus 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

What You Do:

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position; heat the oven to 350F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper or foil liners.
• Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in the bowl of a standing mixer. Add the butter, sour cream, egg, yolks, and vanilla and beat the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients at medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and stir by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain.
• Divide the batter evenly among the cups of the prepared tin. Bake until the cupcake tops are pale gold and toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes. Use a skewer or paring knife to lift the cupcakes from the tin and transfer to a wire rack. Cool the cupcakes to room temperature, about 45 minutes.
• Cream the cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl. Add the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well between each addition. Stir in the cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Then stir in the vanilla. Beat the mixture well, until light and fluffy. Pipe onto cupcakes and sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar, if desired.

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars

Discovered via Cookies & Cups 

What You Need:

• 2 cans Crescent Rolls
• 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese (room temp)
• 1 c sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon

What You Do:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Unroll 1 can of crescent rolls and lay flat in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Stretch the rolls to cover the bottom of the pan. Pinch any seams closed.
• In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla until combined and smooth.
• Spread this over top of the crescent roll.
• Unroll your remaining can of crescent rolls and lay this on top of the cream cheese mixture, again, pinching closed any open seams.
• Pour your melted butter on top of the crescent roll.
• In a bowl mix the remaining sugar and tablespoon of cinnamon together and sprinkle that evenly on top of butter.
• Bake for 30 minutes until top is golden brown.
• Let cool for approximately 20 minutes and then put in refrigerator to completely chill before dividing.

Cranberry, Oatmeal, & White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Sunny Side Up in San Diego.
Makes about 2 dozen

What You Need:
3/4c white chocolate chips
1/2c cranberries (fresh, dried, or craisins)
1c quick ready oats
3/4c unsalted butter, softened
3/4c brown sugar
1/4c granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2c all purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt

What You Do:
• Preheat oven to 350°.
• In the bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
• Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.
• Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.
• Add in chocolate chips, oats, & cranberries. Thoroughly mix together.
• Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper or tinfoil & spray with a non-stick “thing.”
• Drop rounded tablespoons of dough, or with cookie scoop, onto the pan.
• Bake for 15 minutes, or until barely golden brown around the edges.
• Let cool for five minutes & then remove & enjoy.