busy bee

The last month has been busy as I continue to work and get things in order for my mission.  I did manage a trip north to see family and friends which was wonderful - and fall in New England is beautiful.  Other than work, I've done quite a lot of baking which I've posted pictures of on Instagram and Facebook.  My favorites are these two: 

Brownie cupcakes with cookie dough frosting:

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/05/29/fudge-brownie-cupcakes-with-cookie-dough-frosting/

Chocolate caramel turtle cookies:

http://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2012/09/insanely-delicious-turtle-cookies.html

If you make these, prepare yourself to eat them all! :)

*All photos and recipes from above websites*

donuts

homemade donuts equal a delicious breakfast!

[ recipe for cake donuts: http://www.joyofbaking.com/breakfast/CakeDoughnutsRecipe.html ]

lime pie

The other day we bought a bag of limes at Costco with the intention of making key lime pie.  Little did I know you actually needed key limes to do so.  Instead we found a key lime pie recipe and just used our normal limes and the result was fantastic.  I have always found key lime pie to be rather sour so this pie was just tart enough for me without being unpleasant.  The recipe I used is also ridiculously easy, so if you enjoy a good lime pie, make it!

Ingredients:
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 cans sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup fresh lime juice (we used 7 limes)
- 1 graham cracker crust (or shortbread crust)

Directions:
1. Beat the egg yolks together before adding the sweetened condensed milk and lime juice.  Mix well.
2. Pour into graham cracker crust.
3. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.
4. Refrigerate for several hours for best results.
5. Serve with whipped cream and lime wedges!

peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Last night my sister decided that since we had finished off all the desserts in the house, we should make some more.  We searched through some of my favorite cookbooks as well as pinterest for inspiration and decided on this somewhat healthier version of a cookie.  It doesn't have any flour or butter and instead has peanut butter and oatmeal. 

*The original recipe I found through pinterest is here.  I made some changes to it and loved it so my recipe is what follows.

Ingredients:
1 cup creamy peanut butter (or chunky)
1/2 cup brown sugar (dark or light)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs
2/3 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chocolate chips - I used milk chocolate and they were great but you could use semi-sweet

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease or spray your cookie sheet.
2. In a large bowl cream the peanut butter, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs until light.
3. Add the oatmeal and baking soda, mixing until well incorporated.  Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
4. Using a cookie dough scoop or about a tablespoon of dough, place the cookie dough on the cookie sheet. The batter is pretty sticky so my cookie dough scoop was perfect and a lot less messy.
5. Bake for about ten minutes, or until the edges are nicely browned. 

*The recipe makes about a dozen and a half cookies but it would be easy to double it.

Enjoy!

sticky toffee pudding

So, this took a lot longer than I thought it would (posting this).  I made the dish (which I found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/apr/14/cook-perfect-sticky-toffee-pudding) and was really hoping for "perfect" STP.  Well, it was good, and I would probably make it again - it was a huge hit with my parents - but it wasn't the same as I had in England.  I know, it's nearly impossible to get the exact same taste, but I'm planning to choose another recipe and have another go at it.  Overall it was tasty and with some whipped cream or ice cream I felt transported back to the pub where I first had it.  And let me tell you, it was a magical night.  And just a note on English vocabulary: "pudding" means dessert; this is not in fact a semi-solid (which is called "custard" in the UK) but rather a cake - a very delicious caramelly cake.  

In case you decide to try the recipe, here are some pictures of the process:

Making the toffee bit

Dates all chopped up

Just out of the oven - you can see the toffee layer

Topped with whipped cream!