Blueberry Pie

I can't believe it has taken me this long to blog about my blueberries. I feel like I've deprived people of blueberry deliciousness. Sorry! So a while back, mid-July to be exact, I decided to plan a blueberry picking expedition. That expedition resulted in a bucket full of big, ripe blueberries. Once I got home, one of my friends asked what I planned to do with all of them? As if just planning to stuff myself full wasn't a viable option. Eventually I came to terms with the fact that I realistically couldn't eat a whole bucket of blueberries before they went bad and decided to try my hand at making a blueberry pie. After scouting the internet for recipes, I came across this one and I have to say I was surprised at how easy it was. I always thought fruit pies were more complicated. Well not blueberry pies. They're about as easy as it gets. No peeling, no chopping, just mix all the ingredients, pour into a crust, cover, bake and you're done!

Blueberry Pie
3/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups fresh blueberries
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over blueberries.
3. Line pie dish with one pie crust. Pour berry mixture into the crust, and dot with butter. Cut remaining pastry into 1/2 - 3/4 inch wide strips, and make lattice top. Crimp and flute edges.
4. Bake pie on lower shelf of oven for about 50 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Original Recipe Link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/blueberry-pie/detail.aspx

Peanut Butter Temptation Cookies

Two of my coworkers had birthdays this week, and seeing how I'm the resident baker, I had to whip up some goodies. I had tested out this recipe last year during my annual cocktail and cookie exchange party and it got rave reviews. I like it because it's really easy to throw together, it's aesthetically pleasing and delicious! The only downside is having to unwrap all the miniature peanut butter cups.

Peanut Butter Temptation
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
36 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the brown sugar, white sugar and butter. Stir in the peanut butter, then the egg and vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the peanut butter mixture until the dough comes together. Shape into 1 inch balls and press them into the cups of an unprepared mini muffin pan.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a mini chocolate covered peanut butter cup down into the center of each cookie until only the top is showing. Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing from their pans.

Original Recipe Link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/peanut-butter-temptations-ii/detail.aspx

Mint Oreo Truffles

Mint Oreo Truffles are my go-to dessert. It’s also a go-to dessert for all my friends, meaning when I bring these over they go straight for the container and don’t back away until every single truffle has been consumed. Although it looks complicated, it is a relatively easy recipe that requires only 3 ingredients. I’ve made these many times and have tried using regular Oreos, milk chocolate and white chocolate but found the combination of mint Oreos and semi-sweet chocolate to be the best!

Mint Oreo Truffles
1 package of Mint Creme Oreos
1 package of creme cheese
2 cups of bittersweet chocolate chips

1. Grind the Oreos into a powder. Food processor works best for this step.
2. Mix in the cream cheese. Mix well until you can’t see white anymore.
3. Roll the “dough” into small balls, place on a paper lined cookie sheet and refrigerate or freeze for about an hour.
4. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave.
5. Dip the balls into the chocolate and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Homemade Home Fries

On weekdays, I like to sleep in as late as possible. That doesn't usually leave me much time to get ready for work and make breakfast. Weekday breakfasts for me usually consist of bagels, cereal or toast. On the weekends, however, I like big breakfasts. Eggs, toast, sausage, home fries...the whole nine yards. I used to buy frozen hash browns, but then decided it couldn't be that hard to make my own. It wasn't. I expedite the process by microwaving the potatoes first, before I brown them in a skillet with some garlic and onions. This is one of the few times I've actually made up  my own recipe and I really like the result and hope that you do too!

Homemade Home Fries
1 medium Russet or Golden potato, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
1 tbs vegetable oil
salt & pepper to tast
1 tbsp parsley to garnish (optional)

1. Spread the potato slices on a microwavable plate and microwave for about 3 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat.
3. Add garlic and onions to the pan and saute for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the potatoes to the pan and mix with the garlic and onions.
5. Season potatoes with salt and pepper, then cook until nicely browned.

I live alone so this is a one to one and half serving recipe. Feel free to adjust as needed.

Summer Sangria

Nothing says summer like a glass of delicious sangria. I don't even like wine but I also don't consider sangria to be wine. It's more like a delicious, chilled, summery drink with a wine base. Yes, we'll just go with that description. I also like to combine my sangria with board games and periodically hold a Sangria & Sangria Night at my apartment. Last Sunday, was one of those nights. I made both red and wine sangria and my friends finished off both. I don't have a specific type of wine I use, I just go with whatever I pull out of my wine rack. However, if you're using a really sweet wine such as Muscat, I would suggest cutting out the sugar.

Summer Sangria
1 (750 milliliter) bottle of  red or white wine
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup white sugar
1 lime sliced
1 lemon sliced
1 orange sliced
1 apple chopped into small cubes
1 can of ginger ale

1. Combine all the ingredients, except for ginger ale, and chill, preferably overnight.
2. Stir in ginger ale prior to serving.

Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

The weather this weekend was perfect. Sunny, but not too hot. Saturday, I attended the Bruins Parade, but Sunday, I got in some time at the beach. My friends and I went to Singing Beach, in Manchester-by-the-Sea, about 45 minutes north of Boston. It was beautiful and the weather couldn't have been better! Since I am the baker, I decided some chocolate chip cookies were in order for our trip. I found this recipe a while ago, and it has become my standard go-to chocolate chip recipe. The key ingredient to these cookies are the vanilla pudding packs. The pudding mix keeps these cookies soft forever, not that they usually last that long!


Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

Recipe Link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/award-winning-soft-chocolate-chip-cookies/detail.aspx 

Magic Cookie Bars

My sweet tooth really got the best of me last night. I was craving something sweet. A dozen chocolate chips would have probably satisfied me, but then I found this recipe on the side of a can of condensed milk and it all went downhill from there. It's very easy to make. Once you have the crust, the rest of the ingredients just have to be sprinkled on top. The recipe suggests substituting 1 cup of semisweet chocolate morsels with either butterscotch flavored chips, white chocolate chips or peanut butter flavored chips. I didn't have any in my cupboard, so I just stuck with semisweet chocolate chips and used walnuts as my choice of nut. I couldn't wait to try them. Waiting for them to cool before cutting was painful. They're addicting, especially with a glass of milk.

 Magic Cookie Bars
    1/2 cup butter, melted
    1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
    1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
    2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
    1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
    1 cup chopped nuts

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees for glass dish). Coat 13x9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly with a fork.
3. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.

Creamy Chicken Pot Pie

I found this Creamy Chicken Pot Pie recipe on Kraft's website a few months, ago and it skyrocketed to the top of my favorite recipes list the first time I tried it. It's super easy and absolutely delicious. You can make it even easier on yourself by using rotisserie chicken and frozen vegetables. What gives this pot pie real flavor is the Philadelphia Savory Garlic Cooking Creme. The cooking cremes, which come in several flavors, are a new product from Kraft. They look like cream cheese but are a looser substance with a lot more flavor. You can find them in your local grocery store right next to the Philadelphia Cream Cheeses. If you're looking for a quick, delicious weeknight dinner recipe, you found it!

Creamy Chicken Pot Pie
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups  frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans, peas), thawed, drained
1 tub (10 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Savory Garlic Cooking Creme
1   ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of 14.1-oz. pkg.)

1. HEAT oven to 400°F.
2. COOK and stir chicken in large nonstick skillet on medium heat 5 to 6 min. or until chicken is lightly browned. Add vegetables; cook 1 to 2 min. or until heated through. Stir in cooking creme; spoon into 9-inch pie plate.
3. COVER with crust; seal and flute edge. Cut several slits in crust. Place pie plate on baking sheet.
4. BAKE 25 to 30 min. or until golden brown.

Summer Corn Chowder

I have a sweet tooth and love to bake, but I also like trying out all kinds of other recipes. I have a list of my favorites and this one definitely makes the list. The chowder is one of my most popular things to make in the spring and summer when all the sweet corn is in season and on sale. It's delicious and also healthy. It's loaded with colorful vegetables and uses low fat milk instead of heavy cream.


Corn Chowder Recipe
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
    1 strip of bacon or 1 teaspoon of bacon fat (substitute 1/2 Tbsp of butter for vegetarian option)
    1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
    1/2 large carrot, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
    1/2 celery stalk, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
    3 ears of sweet corn, kernels removed from the cobs (about 2 cups), cobs reserved (see steps for taking corn off the cob)
    1 bay leaf
    3 1/2 cups milk, whole or low fat
    1 medium Yukon Gold potato, or Russet, peeled and diced
    1/4 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
    Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
    1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the bacon strip (skip this step for vegetarian option, just add more butter) and fry until the bacon renders its fat, but doesn't begin to brown, 3 or 4 minutes. Add the onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the carrot and celery and cook for 4 or 5 more minutes.
2. Break the corn cobs in half and add them to the saucepan. Add the milk and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a bare simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes. Make sure the heat is as low as can be and still maintain a gentle simmer (on our stove we had to use the "warm" setting) to prevent scalding the milk on the bottom of the pan.
3. Discard the cobs, the bacon strip, and the bay leaf. Raise the heat, add the potatoes, red pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt, fresh ground pepper to taste, bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost fork tender.
4. Raise the heat, add the corn kernels and the thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Original Recipe Link: Corn Chowder Recipe

Vanilla Cupcakes With Milky Way Frosting

So I had a ton, well not a ton, but about a cup of Milky Way frosting left over from my Milky Way cake. Since I only make Milky Way cake once a year on my birthday, I had to think of another way to use up the frosting. Something other than eating it straight out of the container one spoon at a time. What else do you put frosting on? Cupcakes of course! I've never made cupcakes from scratch before, but how hard could it be? I did a quick search on Google and came across this Basic Vanilla Cupcakes recipe. It's meant for kids which means you really can't screw it up. The cupcake recipe should be made as listed, however, the frosting recipe is meant for the Milky Way  Cake. For cupcakes, I would cut the recipe down in half or even use a quarter of the ingredient amounts listed.

Vanilla Cupcakes
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of butter
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners into the cupcake tin.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter by hand with a big spoon. With an electric mixer, beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla.
3. Combine the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add this dry mixture to the creamed mixture. Mix well. Stir in the milk until the batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

Frosting (Remember to cut the recipe in half or quarter)
3 milky way bars
1/2 cups butter
4 teaspoons milk
1/2 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Melt candy bars in pan. 
2. Put candy mixture into bowl. 
3. Beat the remaining ingredients into the bowl slowly. 
4. Once it is all stirred together, decorate the cooled cupcakes.

The Birthday Cake Post

My twenty-something birthday was this weekend. May 21st to be exact. The apocalypse didn't happen so I got to spend the day celebrating with my closest friends. I also made my own birthday cake. Milky Way Cake has become a must-have for my birthday. Everyone loves Milky Ways, but did you know you can bake with them too? This was the third year that I have made it and it's still as appealing as the first time around.

The cake calls for 11 Milky Way bars. That can get pretty expensive so plan ahead and get them when they're on sale. I got mine at CVS during a 2/$1 sale. You could also get fun sized Milky Ways or minis. Those can be a pain to unwrap but doable. Through experimenting and grueling math calculations I figured out that 3.5 fun sized Milky Ways equal to 1 regular sized bar. If you go with minis, then 7 minis equal to 1 regular sized bar. Now, without further ado, here is the recipe:

Milky Way Cake
8 Milky Way regular sized bar
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla

Melt the 8 candy bars and butter in pan. Remember to keep stirring the mixture so it doesn't burn the pan. Blend the remaining ingredients together in one bowl. Stir the candy mixture into the cake mixture. Put in greased and floured bunt cake pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour or until done.

Frosting
3 milky way bars
1/2 cups butter
4 teaspoons milk
1/2 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt candy bars in pan. Put candy mixture into bowl. Beat the remaining
ingredients into the bowl slowly. Once it is all stirred together, pour over the cooled cake.