3-2-1 Funfetti Cake Batter Dip

I do not bake much. Using the word rarely is even stretching it. Rex doesn’t eat chocolate or cream cheese as they both give him migraines and on top of that, he isn’t a big sweet eater. So guess what ends up happening? I eat it all with some help from Charlie and Jack, but it is mostly me. When I do make cookies or a cake, I enjoy the raw batter or dough just as much as I love the finished product.

Now that I am pregnant, the days of licking the spoon have come to a halt since I don’t want to eat anything with raw eggs. But, leave it to Liz of Little Bitty Bakes to save the day. I found Liz’s blog through Bake at 350 (which I blogged about here). Liz has the most delicious sounding food, and it is not hard to make. Case in point her 3-2-1 Funfetti Cake Batter Dip (which I am eating right now!).

Funfetti Cake Batter Dip

3 tbsp. Funfetti cake mix

2 tbsp. plain yogurt

1 tbsp. cool whip (or whipped cream)

Wisk cake mix and yogurt until smooth.  Fold in cool whip.  Refrigerate until serving.  Serve with pretzels or animal crackers. 

It is even better after it has been refrigerated and Charlie had fun stirring it up. I made this for his friends at school today. Can’t wait to hear how they liked it!

Bake at 350: Cookies for a baby shower

I had to share the link to a new blog find. Bake at 350 has the cutest cookies that I have ever seen. In Bridget’s bio she writes that she hopes “you’ll find some inspiration here”. I think if you can’t find inspiration here, you must be blind. The cookies below would be great for a baby shower, but as you will see on her blog, she does cookies for ALL occasions. Even though there are step by step instructions on how to create these edible delights, I can promise you that mine would NEVER look this good!

While you are checking out the cookie index, do not forget to also look at the recipe index. It is guaranteed to add inches to your waistline!

Bun in the Oven – my favorite

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

The Pioneer Woman’s Chicken Pot Pie is one of my favorites. Her Perfect Pie Crust is so buttery and flaky that it just melts in your mouth – thanks to the 1 1/2 cups of Crisco!

The pot pie is really easy to make and everyone at our house loves it. The best part is that it is even better the next day (that is if you have some left!). It would also be delicious with left over turkey from Thanksgiving!

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

1 pie crust (1/2 of Perfect Pie Crust recipe)
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
1/2 cup finely diced celery
2 cups leftover turkey, light and dark, diced or shredded (or both!)
1/4 cup flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
splash of white wine (optional)
1 cup heavy cream
Frozen peas (optional)
Fresh thyme, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt butter in a dutch oven. Add onion, carrots, and celery, and cook until translucent (a couple of minutes.)
Add turkey and stir. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir. Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour in chicken or turkey broth, stirring constantly. Splash in wine (you can leave this out if you’d like.) Pour in cream. (May add frozen peas at this point if you’d like.)
Bring to a slow boil and allow mixture to cook and thicken for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not under season), and fresh or dried thyme to taste. Do one final taste at the end and add what it needs.
Pour mixture into a casserole dish or deep pie pan.
Roll out crust so that it’s about 1 inch larger than the pan you’re using.
Place the crust on top of the pot pie mixture, and press crust into the sides of the dish. Cut vents in the top of the crust.
Bake for 30 minutes or until very golden and bubbly.
Allow to cool for a little bit before serving.

Serve with a large spoon.

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Let’s Make Whoopie (Pies)!

The Pioneer Woman (or the PW, as she is affectionately known around here) is someone that I wish I could be. She is a true modern day renaissance woman. If you check out her  website, you can see for yourself. She is a photographer, she’s crafty, her recipes are to die for, she lives on a ranch, she’s witty, is a mother of four, AND she homeschools!!! When does this woman sleep???

The favorites from the PW in the Harrison Household are her Perfect Pot Roast, Chicken Pot Pie (with an easy homemade pie crust), Crash Hot Potatoes,  and her Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos. All recipes can be found in her cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl. My friend Laura, made the cinnamon rolls last weekend and we were lucky enough to get a sample. Like everything else, these did not disappoint either.

This weekend I will be making the Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. My mom kindly made these for me last fall and the entire batch was gone in less than 24 hours! I think I ate 90% of them myself and fully intend to do the same this time around as well. Here is a photo and recipe from the PW’s blog, Tasty Kitchen.

 

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients:

• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 4 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 cup Melted Butter, Slightly Cooled
• 2 cups Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
• 3 cups Chilled Pumpkin Purée
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• _____
• INGREDIENTS FOR FILLING:
• ½ cups Butter, Softened
• 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, softened
• 3 cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Preparation Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin spice. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar until well mixed. Whisk in the pumpkin puree until smooth. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until well combined.

Using a small scoop, drop dough about 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until the top is slightly crackly and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets while you prepare the filling.

Filling:

Using your mixer, beat the butter until totally smooth. Beat in cream cheese until combined. Beat in powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon just until smooth (don’t overbeat!).

Turn half of the cookies upside down and dollop with 1 teaspoon of the frosting. Sandwich with another cookie, and press gently to even out the filling. Store in the fridge!

Prep Time: 15 minutes                         Cook Time: 50 minutes

ENJOY!!!